


Falling for Stars

by Neonlightsglow



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU, Adventure, Anxiety Attacks, Bill doesn't just get a body, BillDip, Dipper explores new creatures, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mystery, Panic Attacks, Strong Language, Takes place after series end, They work for it, Triangle Bill Cipher, later human bill, plushie Bill, possible future sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 14:14:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 98,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6082440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neonlightsglow/pseuds/Neonlightsglow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A successful author, Dipper Pines comes back to Gravity Falls alone to write his next novel. Little does he know that writers block will lead him to make a deal that will bring him closer to the knowledge of the universe. What other way can Dipper get the chance to explore all of Gravity Falls' secrets, including Bill's? All he wants in return is a body, but could Bill be plotting something more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sprinkles

Almost there. Dipper’s eyes felt heavy as his car approached its final destination. It was the middle of the night and after a long eight hour drive he made it past the tell tale sign. Gravity Falls. The same place he and his twin sister had visited back when they were twelve all those many summers ago.

It had been some time since Dipper had returned Oregon. After the Weirdmaggedon, nearly everyone he knew fled from the location. Most of Gravity Falls had been devastated and no one wanted to stick around to fix it after Bill had been defeated. 

As far as he knew Suus and Pacifica were the only ones still around. Only a few other people stayed behind for personal reasons and every now and then one or two mystery thrill seekers would move in hoping to see something for themselves. Yet, Gravity Falls was never the same when it came to tourists. 

Rumors spread about the town. Sales at the Mystery Shack dropped tremendously. Eventually Gruncle Stan had no choice but to close up shop. It was probably going to happen anyways since Gruncle Ford came back. 

Since their strained relationship was now fixed, they finally decided to go sailing in a new Stan o’ War ship. After all, Ford wanted to explore the world he had missed. They didn’t have the heart to sell the place and would stop by every now and then but never for too long. There were just too many awful memories they said.

So as Dipper pulled up to it, he wasn’t surprised to see how much the place had been let go. Even another letter had fallen off and now read “Mysery Hack”. 

Dipper let out a chuckle at that but then sighed. It was sad to see such a great place look so glum. He parked the car and pulled out his cell phone. He had two texts from Mabel asking him how he was doing. He decided to give her a call to let her know he made it safe. She answered on the second ring as her usual cheery self.

“Hey Bro-bro, how’s the driving going? You there yet?”

It was so good to hear her voice again. This was going to be the longest time they were going to have to spend apart since as long as he could remember. 

“It’s going great Mabel. I just got here actually. Still looks the exact same way we left it,” He lied, his nervous laugh betraying him. He was trying to make this trip seem better than it really was. 

When he first told Mabel he was going back, she disapproved greatly. As much as they both had loved their time here, she felt like it was too dangerous. This was especially so because she couldn’t come with him. She was starting her first semester in Art College and she couldn’t miss any of her classes. Little did she know that this was the exact reason why he chose to come the time that he did.

“You sure you’re going to be okay there by yourself? What if the shack falls apart? I don’t want to see you on the news as famous author dies from his childhood summer home collapsing on him. ”

Dipper sighed as his sister rambled on about stories of twins who lost each other and how they can still sense each other in the afterlife.

“Well if it did happen, we can make that into a book and m-“

“Dipper that’s not funny!” she gasped and then began to berate him for even thinking about turning it into a joke.

 

It really wasn’t funny but he was desperate to write his next book. After High School, Dipper decided to skip college and instead focus his energy writing books about his adventures in Gravity Falls. He had made them into a children’s series and so far they’ve been extremely successful. It was even picked up for a television show on a famous kids network. It was a huge hit to his surprise but not enough to make him crazy rich.

He made a comfortable living with the money made from the books, even enough to pay for Mabel’s college. The only reason why he was here at the moment was because he had hit a bit of a writers bump along the way. His publisher had hit him with a deadline and even now with a month left, he had been stuck on chapter two forever. He never imagined he’d run out of ideas so soon. 

“Anyways Dipping dot, if anything bad happens you give me a call and I’ll be there before you can say sprinkle, you hear me?” He rolled his eyes at his sister’s motherly tone but couldn’t help smiling when he replied, “Sure thing mom. Anything else?”

She huffed but softly responded, “Yeah don’t forget to wash your underwear stupid.” At that he laughed, “Okay Stupid.”

Dipper wrapped up the call with his sister and promised to text soon before he killed the engine and exited the car. He grabbed the one bag he packed and made his way to the creepy door. It hadn’t been much of a fight getting the keys from his Gruncle Stan that he thought it was going to be. When he called a week ago asking to borrow it the old man had only replied, “Yeah sure kid, just stay outta my room.”

He carefully opened the door and hit the light switch, hoping that they would still work. Thankfully, they slowly but surely flicked on. It was kind of eerie how everything was left exactly the same as they’d left it. All the knickknacks were there still waiting to be bought, just collecting dust. Even the pine tree hats that he had loved were still there. Dipper coughed and made note to do some minor cleaning soon. Maybe if Soos wasn’t busy, he could call his old friend over to help.

Since Stan’s room was off limits, he slowly made his way to his old room. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. As he climbed the stairs, memories of the place flooded him. In his mind he was imagining the place with everyone still here that summer. When he finally opened the door to their room and saw his and Mabel’s bed, the loneliness really hit him. How he wished that summer would have ended differently.

BILL

No he refused to think about the evil triangle that had tormented his friends. He had purposely left the dream demon out of the stories out of fear. If it weren’t for the fact that they had destroyed him, he’d be too scared to return here. 

With that lingering thought, Dipper tossed his bag on Mable’s old bed and began to unpack. He couldn’t wait to crash out after that long drive so he only pulled out the essentials and got ready for bed. 

Dipper hopped under the covers and stared at Mabel’s bed full of her stuffed toys that she left behind. Realizing there would be no one there to judge him, he got up and grabbed the first toy he could reach, a plush yellow star, and brought it back to his bed to cuddle. This was going to be a long trip without her. His eyes slid close and the man fell into an uneasy slumber.

~~~~~~~~~

His dreams started off strange. Teeth falling out and working at the shack with Wendy only to realize he was only wearing his underwear. Then suddenly, he was in the woods with wind blowing around him. The second the world turned gray, he woke with a start. 

Drenched with sweat, he tried his best to control his breathing. He felt his heart beating out of rhythm and his mind was racing. The Mindscape!? No! That was impossible! Bill was gone. It had to be the lingering fear of this place. That could be the only explanation. Yes that was the explanation he convinced himself.

Dipper untangled him self from the sheets moved his arm closer to looked at his watch and groaned. 6:45 in the morning. He had been hoping to sleep in. “I guess that’s not happening now,” he muttered to himself to fill in the awkward silence. 

Too anxious to go back to sleep, he hopped out of bed and began his day. He started off by unpacking his stuff and then taking a shower. He looked in the mirror as he brushed his teeth and mused at how different he looked compared to that summer. He had grown taller for sure, but only an inch taller than Mable to his dismay. His shaggy hair never became tame so it was cut the same just a little longer. The asterism he hid was impossible to see now. He might have to cut it eventually though because Mable kept putting clips and bows in his hair while he slept. 

The only difference was his terrible attempts at growing facial hair. It was there but never grew in evenly, so he would have a stubble but once it got too long he would shave it off again. He slightly outgrew how lanky he had been but he was still as thin and not very toned. He’d never be athletic because of his love of books. 

Speaking of, he now had to wear glasses from the eyestrain of writing and reading. He only needed them to read so Dipper refused to wear them unless he had to. He felt too much like Gruncle Ford when he wore them for too long and Mable would constantly tease him. 

She once sewed him a red turtleneck as a joke saying he might as well accept that Ford was him in 20 years. He would shut her up by saying she was looking an awful lot like Gruncle Stan all of a sudden. It would always end with them pushing each other until Mabel had him on the floor tickling him to death. 

He sighed at the happy memory and left the bathroom to begin going through the closet for cleaning supplies. He had called Suus but he already had plans with Melody. Next weekend the big man had promise. So instead of waiting he decided to do it now. He needed to do anything to get his mind off his dream. 

In fact, he spent the next two days cleaning and going to buy groceries and supplies for his new home. He wasn’t much of a cook but figured it would be better than going out to eat alone. He had the chance to catch up with other friends from town but no luck with writing. He just didn’t know where to begin looking for the supernatural. The books were gone, burned long ago, and he wasn’t sure where to begin in those woods. 

The feeling of panic never seemed to go away after that first night. Every thing seemed peaceful and fine, but for some reason Dipper felt like someone was watching him half the time. To keep himself from going insane, he would get coffee at Greasy’s diner or visit some of his favorite places as a kid. It still felt weird to him that he wouldn’t see Mable, Wendy, Robbie, or any of his friends when he would turn a corner.   
Most of their hang out spots had closed down as well. He was pretty disappointed that the arcade was no longer there. Then again, who would be crazy enough to live here with kids after what happened. Dipper sighed and went home disappointed. It was already getting dark anyways. 

He made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner that night and went upstairs to try to write but no luck. He sat at his desk staring at the blank screen of his laptop in front of him for a good hour before he took off his glasses and gave up. He slammed the computer shut and went to go lay down in bed. He was exhausted but stressed as well. This was not going as planned. He tossed and turned trying to think of a plot or creature to write about. The moment his mind decided to shut off he was back in the gray forest. 

This time he heard the laugh

In his dream Dipper ran. He ran as far as he could but no matter where he went, it all looked the same and the laughter continued to mock him. It felt like hours and he was going insane. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he stood his ground and shouted to the air, “Stop messing with me and show yourself!”

Then the voice he was dreading to hear came from behind him, “Well, well, well, look at what the wind brought in? Is that you Pinetree? Just kidding I know it’s you. Long time no see buddy!”

Dipper flinched at the word buddy. The way Bill said it he could tell the triangle was sneering. He swirled around and his heart dropped to his stomach. It was him. No doubt about it. It was the same yellow demon with his bowtie and black hat that defined him. Bill stared at him curiously as he leaned against his cane.

“Well???? What’s the matter Pinetree? Cat got your tongue or are you just that excited to see me?”

Next thing Dipper knew, his mouth was being pulled apart wide against his will as Bill inspected it. Dipper screamed and Bill laughed gleefully.

“Now that’s more like it!” Bill did circles around him, taking him in.

“Look at how big you’ve gotten. Still scrawny as always but you sure turned into a looker. How’s Shooting Star? Must have all the boys crazy about her now seeing as how you turned out.”

Dipper felt his face flush at the compliment, but then snapped to his senses. He had been too much into a stupor to say anything but now he was boiling in anger.

“Bill! What do you want!? I thought you were dead! Gruncle Stan defeated you!”

“Woah woah woah. Is that any way to treat an old friend? I’m hurt. Of course I’m not dead Pinetree. Did you think you could get rid of me that easily?” Bill started chuckling again and then grew in size but turned red, “Well You! Thought! Wrong!” he shouted each syllable making a point to get all up in Dipper’s face. 

Dipper struggled to stop himself from shaking in fear, “But-“

“But how?” Bill mocked his voice and ruffled his hair. He expanded again, making his eye into a television showing the events of back to their last day together, “I’m a dream demon. Just because you defeated me that day doesn’t mean you killed me. Hah as if that were possible. I’m a being of pure energy remember? I’m sure you’ve taken enough science classes to know what that means?”

Dipper swallowed hard before whispering, ”Energy cannot be created or destroyed”.

The triangle looked pleased, “That’s my smart Pinetree. I merely went back to my dimension and waited for my body to regenerate and my powers to return. Sure it took a while but it takes way more than measly weak human twins to get rid of ME.”

Dipper could only stare and he could tell Bill was getting impatient with him.

“Right so straight to the point. I need you to do me a favor Pinetree. A deal, if you know what I mean.” The demon looked pretty smug at this point, leaning up against his cane in midair. 

At that Dipper snapped, “I would never make a deal with you! You think I’m stupid? Forget it Bill! I’m not letting you destroy Gravity Falls again!”

Bill pushed him down and Dipper felt himself land in a chair. A martini glass appeared out of thin air and landed in his hand. He made a look of disgust and poured the contents out. He could tell that he had offended Bill, but the triangle choose to let it go and continued, “Now here me out Pinetree. You may think this is a bad deal, but I’ve been watching you and I think this deal will work out in your favor~” Bill took a sip of his own glass and had a gleam in his eye. 

It still weirded Dipper out how the demon’s eye was a mouth as well. Wait Bill was watching him?

“That was you!? I thought I was going cra-”

“Not the point right now kiddo, you see I know you’re having trouble writing this new book of yours and I think I know the perfect guy who can help.” Bill got closer and raised his eyebrow suggestively.

“Wait. You want to help me write my book? Why?” Dipper couldn’t believe the words coming out of the cycloptic demon. It made no sense.

“Sure I do! Who else knows the mysteries of this town better than myself? You would be writing in no time. What do you say? Just a tiny FAVOR and my knowledge is all yours.”

Dipper could see the actual pride rolling off of him in waves as he held out a blue fiery hand. He could feel a headache coming on. Was it possible to get dream headaches?

“And what? What do you want in return? My body again? My teeth? The whole town? Yeah right! I know better than to do deals with you!”

“Now now Pinetree, I only ask for one thing in return. I’m going crazy in what is left of my world,” and with that he made an exaggerated show of an example of him going crazy before he continued, “ I want out. I want a body of my own-“

“Yeah right! I’m not falling for that one again! Why the hell would I do that!”

Dipper could see Bill was getting angry and impatient but the triangle’s eye went blank in what Dipper guessed was a way of calming himself down. 

“You didn’t let me finish kid. I wouldn’t take your body. How would I be helping you out like that? I want my own. You attach my soul to a body, any body, preferably dead to me, but up to you if you have any enemies…” The demon ranted on, “But the best part for you is I lose my powers so you don’t have to worry about me taking over the world again.”

With that Bill seemed pleased with himself and looked at him expectantly. He held out his hand again, “Deal?”

“What? No! Why should I trust you? You nearly killed everyone! You almost killed Mabel!”

“ Don’t exaggerate Pinetree. I was merely having some fun with my friends. You’ve never thrown a wild party before? I just wanted to share the party with the world. You and Shooting Star were all just a ploy to get what I wanted from Fordsy. He’s the only one I really wanted. Anyways, that’s all in the past now. I’ve had PLENTY of time to think and I realize all I ever wanted was to be a part of your world~” Bill sang that last line to a tune Dipper didn’t recognize. Must be a reference to something crazy only Bill would know. Still Dipper crossed his arms defensively.

“And why should I trust you?”

“You can’t but that’s just me being honest. Like I said kid, I’ll be powerless in your world without my body. You saw what happened when I took over your body. The only damage I could do is to myself.”

Dipper winced at the memory. After what Bill had done to him, he couldn’t move for a week.

“Why me?”

At that Bill looked thoughtful. 

“You’re the only one I could trust to do it right Pinetree.”

Dipper was in shock. He didn’t know what to do. It looked like he was telling the truth but this was BILL he was thinking about turning into a human. What kind of chaos would that bring? At the same time, he really needed to finish that book…

His thoughts were interrupted by Bill floating in front of him. The triangle was looking rather gloomy all of a sudden. His normally manic voice turned soft as he continued, “Think about it kiddo? I’ll be back tomorrow and you can give me your answer then. Deal?”

Dipper sighed, “….Fine. I’ll think about it.”

Bill perked up again, “Perfect! That’s all I need! Now be a good Pinetree and scream for me when you wake up? See you soon! Bye!” Bill snapped his fingers and Dipper woke with a start. Much to his embarrassment, he was screaming loudly. Things could not get worse.

“Sprinkle,” he whispered to himself.


	2. Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper doesn't need Bill or so he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bewarb. For those who have anxiety, this whole work might be triggering. So just to let you know this chapter mentions anxiety. I forgot to mention that this story pretty much follows the series mostly except after Bill was defeated Gravity Falls didn't magically turn back to rainbows and butterflies and Soos didn't take over the shack. Anyways, read away!

Dipper sat in his car breathing hard. After he had woken up from the mindscape with Bill, he had only enough time to throw on a hoodie and jeans before he ran out of the shack. He had to get out of there. Had to go to the only place he knew his mind was safe. Knowing exactly what to do, Dipper jumped into his car and drove to the outskirts of Gravity Falls. Out where he knew Bill had no power because of the bubble containing him to the city. Once he was out, he had pulled over to the side of the road and hit his hazards. That’s when he finally let his panic attack hit him. 

Currently the Pines man had his head resting against the steering wheel as his anxiety ran through him in waves. His breath was labored, his chest tight, and his stomach was in knots. He was trying hard to let the wave of nausea pass but no luck. Dipper jerked up suddenly, opened the car door and threw up what was left of his dinner last night. With a whine, he wiped his mouth with the back of his trembling hands. He had to calm down. It was only a dream. It had to be. Bill couldn’t be back. 

No it was real. He could deny and lie to himself all he wanted but there’s no way his mind could’ve made that all up. As scared as Dipper was of Bill, his real nightmares of the triangle had never been like that. 

Most often they were replays of the day they defeated him. They usually consisted of either that monster Bill had turned into chasing them through the fearamid or Bill deciding which on of them to kill. Dipper shuddered, the taste of bile coming back to him and he dry heaved. Apparently nothing left to throw up was in him.

Before he could think about it any further, he heard the familiar ringtone that belonged to the only person he needed right now.

“Mable”

“Dipping Dot! You’ll never believe who has the hottest date!” she squeaked. Leave it to Mabel to never start a conversation with hello. He took a deep breath and groaned as Mabel told him how she had bumped into her latest obsession. How they were going to go to a theme park and how this one was the one for sure. He wanted to be happy for her, he really did. He just knew there was more to this call than a silly crush. 

“Mable,” he interrupted, “He sounds great and all, but I know you’d never call me to tell me about your love life. What’s going on?”

Dipper could swear he could hear Mable pouting on the other line even though he couldn’t see her. “What? Can’t your favorite sister call you just to hear your voice?” Once again he had to remind her that she was his only sister. Normally he would say this with a laugh but this time he didn’t. Mabel caught on really quick.

“What’s wrong? Something’s up isn’t it? Spill it!” concern was rolling off her words. He did not need Mabel worrying about him right now. She had school and tests that needed her attention more. 

“Nothing is wro-“

“Dipper Pines don’t you dare tell me it’s nothing. You sound like you’ve swallowed a whole page of stickers for heavens sakes. I knew I wasn’t just feeling paranoid.” Mable huffed. 

His sister had it in her head now that she could tell when he was distressed now. That finally their twin powers were coming in. Dipper could never feel anything that Mable could. Just like he didn’t want to know how is sister knew what eating a page of stickers sounded like.

“Well?”

“Look Mabel. I’m just under a lot of pressure over the book deadline,” he sighed. It wasn’t the exact truth but it wasn’t a lie either. “I’m still stuck on the same spot and I want to be back home with you as much as you do.”

There was a moment of silence on the line. He figured Mabel was probably trying to figure out if Dipper was telling the truth or not. He assumed it worked once he heard his twin sigh.

“Aw bro-bro. You should’ve just said you missed me.” 

“I know Mabel, it’s weird being apart.”

“All right! it’s settled! See you this weekend. Love you Dip! Bye!” Mabel practically yelled into his ear. Dipper didn’t even get the chance to argue back or tell her no before she hung up. 

Shit.

Mabel could not come an inch closer to this town. Not with Bill back. He had to protect his twin no matter what. He shuddered at the memory of their last moments with Bill. Even now it haunted him that Bill almost took her away from him. He had to change her mind. If he did it now, she’d know something is up. Luckily it was only Wednesday. He’d have to let her down gently tomorrow without giving anything away. Still… it’d be nice not be alone dealing with the Triangular demon. 

Speaking of the yellow demon, he had no idea what he was going to do about the body situation. Half of him wanted nothing more than to keep driving out of that mess and leave it behind forever but the other half was angry. Why did Bill have to ruin every thing he loved about Gravity Falls? He didn't want to give the asshole the satisfaction of taking over the place, even if it was only in Dipper's fears. 

 

He had promised Bill that he would think about it. When he really contemplated his true intentions though, he had only said it to get Bill off his back. Well that and maybe a little bit because the demon had looked so damn desperate about the whole thing. This was not the Bill he knew. The one he knew would have tricked or threatened his way to a deal. 

 

His own body huh? He didn't even know how to begin considering getting the triangle a body. What was he supposed to do? Dig one up? Kill someone? The thought made Dipper sick. There's just no way this could work. What did Bill even want in the human world anyways? The pines man couldn't fathom the thought that the other didn't have some ulterior motive. 

Grrrrrrrr

 

Dipper gripped his shirt in frustration. He growled along with his empty stomach. He needed to eat and bad. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stomach anything heavy but coffee was really necessary right now. Forget Bill. The answer was no and that was final. 

Putting his car into drive, the brunette sped off to the nearest pancake house he could find. Who cares if he'd be eating alone?

\-------

 

After an uneventful morning, he found himself back at the mystery shack. He was still a little nervous to go inside so he sat there on the porch couch doodling on a sheet a paper that was supposed to have words on it by now. Stupid writer's block. Mabel was always the more creative one. He just wrote based on experiences. 

 

Back in his depths of his mind, he could hear a voice sneer that he wouldn't have this problem if he only accepted Bill's deal. Ugh. Immediately, he shook his head to clear the ridiculous thought and stood up. No. He was going to write this book on his own. He wasn't going to give in easily. Dipper stomped down the stairs and into the forest. He was going to find a muse somewhere in here. He’d search even if it took all night.

 

Well after about two hours, he realized he might have over estimated himself. He was dying to just lay down and pass out. It was not smart to wander the woods without water or at least a snack. That and the pressure from needing to go the bathroom wasn't going away anytime soon. He was too self-conscious about something watching him or worse attacking him while exposed. So he held it instead of going in the bushes.

 

Sure enough with that thought, Dipper heard a rustling in said bushes. He took a step back, suddenly nervous. He didn't know if he could outrun anything in his condition at the moment. From somewhere behind him a loud crack of a branch being snapped in two. He whirled around quickly to see nothing. It was funny. No matter how many times he'd been in these woods as a kid, he could never stop his heart from leaping into his throat in times like these. Suddenly the leaves parted and a gnome stepped out. Oh.

"Hey there little guy," Dipper kneeled down and coaxed the bearded creature towards him, "Remember me?"

"Schmebulock."

 

The man flushed with embarrassment and immediately felt bad. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. Right, it's Schmebulock not little guy." The bearded gnome walked towards him and Dipper picked him up. "Anyways, have you seen any thing magical lately? Like werewolves or shape shifters or...." He trailed off awkwardly as one of the gnome's eyes stared at him and the other was looking at the floor. 

"Schmebulock."

 

It dawned on him. "Wait...Crap I forgot. You're the one who only knows how to say your name." Ugh! The Pines man face palmed. Of course he'd find the stupidest creature in the world. Just his luck. 

"Where are your buddies? Maybe they can help me out. Can you lead me to them?" There were plenty of gnomes. One of them could tell him something worth writing about. Luckily Mabel wasn't around to stir up resentful feelings of being broken up with.

"Schmebulock."

 

Okay obviously this was going to lead him nowhere. Why he ever thought continuing to talk to Schmebulock was going to solve anything was beyond him. With an exasperated sigh he put the small man down. 

"Right....Well see you later. I guess," and with that Dipper took off deeper in the trees. He hoped the thing wouldn't follow him. Even with its short legs the gnome probably could have because Dipper was huffing and out of breath. He didn't have the same stamina as when he was a kid. He really wished he had worn shorts too as his clothes were clinging to him with sweat. 

 

After another fruitless hour he gave up and made his way back to the shack. He was getting desperate. If only Ford wasn't at sea with no signal or else he would have called him for ideas. He would take anything to avoid the demon awaiting him tonight. 

 

At least the walk had helped him calm down. The anxiety he had before was now only a small star in a sea of constellations. As he walked in to his current home he pealed off his sweatshirt and threw it on the floor. Dipper ran to the restroom to relieve himself, then left his pants on the floor to wander around in his underwear. 

Dipper walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, practically spilling it all over himself as he drank. He could feel his legs giving out as he make it to the couch and fell into it. The brunet looked around for the remote and spotted it on top of the TV. He groaned. It might as well be on the other side of the world. He just didn't have the energy to move anymore. 

 

Instead he pulled out his phone and headphones from his pocket and put on a greatest artist of all time. Okay it really wasn't. It was Babba. So what? No one was here to judge him. He let his eyes close as he concentrated on the melody playing in his head. Before he knew it, Dipper was no longer in the Mystery Shack. 

~~~~~

 

The world was grey again but that wasn't what caught his attention. It was the massive library that he found himself in. The only description that came to mind was beautiful as he took in his surroundings. From where he stood it looked like he was in the center of the building. It was an atrium connecting the three long marble hallways that lead you away from the center. Where was he?

 

Each hall was illuminated a different color despite the gray world around him. The colors stood out extremely. Yellow, red and a familiar looking purple shone in his direction. He could feel each hall inviting him in. He was just too much in shock to move his legs. It was like the word move wasn’t registering to his legs. 

 

He looked down at his unresponsive feet. The floor below was made of a mosaic of triangles all in different shades of gray. He rubbed his eyes. Was the pattern glowing slightly?

 

Sure enough the next place he looked was up. For the first time since he got here he made a noise and gasped. A glass dome was all that protected the library as a ceiling. But that wasn't what took his breath away. It was the stars above in an endless sky of blacks, blues and purples. It was almost like looking through a telescope but even better. 

It reminded him of when he was in Gruncle Stan’s mind fighting Bill. He was just too busy fighting for his life to pay attention. It was nice to be able to appreciate it now. The sky was night out but the stars and floor somehow provided enough light to illuminate his location to see everything in front of him. 

 

He looked back down and turned around and that's when he saw it. Behind him this whole time, in the heart of the atrium, stood a statue of Bill. It was the exact replica of the triangle in the cipher wheel he was constantly drawn with. Dipper’s eyes trailed each symbol until he locked onto the pine tree that he knew represented him. His heart sped up. Was he excited or scared? 

"Like what you see Pinetree?"

 

The voice came from the statue. It was smug and that irritated Dipper. Next thing he knew, Bill's body was coming out of it. He floated in front of him in the same position as the statue but with his eye closed in concentration. If Dipper knew any better, he'd say the demon was meditating. 

No! Wait! He wasn't ready to make this decision yet. How had he fallen asleep?? This was a nap, not him going to bed. It shouldn't count!

 

Bill cracked his eye open a little, almost as if he could sense the man's distress. He looked irritated but eventually let out a sigh and let his arms fall under him next his legs. He floated up close, as if inspecting him, then flew past him.

"Don't fret kid. I have something to show you before we really talk. Follow me," the triangle motioned for Dipper to follow him towards the yellow hallway.

 

He hesitated. The Pines man was nervous that it might be a trap. He watched as the demon got further away, and mentally scolded himself as his curiosity got the best of him. He sprinted to catch up to Bill then trailed a tolerable distance behind the three-sided demon. Just in case Bill tried anything funny, he kept his guard up and he was ready to flee in if he needed to. Truthfully though, he didn't have a single clue as to where he would go if anything were to happen. 

They walked deeper down the hall past shelves and books. He looked at some of the titles written on the spines and realized he could only read a few of them. The silence between them bugged him somehow.

"Bill. Where are we?"

The demon laughed, mocking him, "I figured you of all people would be able to recognize a library. Maybe I've given my puppet too much credit."

At that Dipper fumed, glaring at Bill’s back. Obviously that was what surrounded them but he wanted to know where was this library.

Dipper was about to give the demon a piece of his mind when Bill suddenly stopped in front of a section full of couches and turned around. Well if that’s what you want to call it when his bricks invert into himself. The look his eye was giving him was amused. 

Bill floated towards a shelf and pulled out a book. He flipped through a few pages before tossing it the human's way. 

"Catch."

It didn't amuse Dipper one bit that the demon had said it once the book was almost near his face. It stumbled in his hands and he almost dropped the book. Luckily Dipper was able to prevent himself from looking like an idiot and steadied it in his hands. As he did so, it opened nearly halfway through. 

He looked down at it and saw a picture of what looked like a harpy surrounded by symbols he didn't recognize. He heard a snap of fingers then suddenly the symbols shifted. Dipper watched in awe as the symbols were translated into English. Dipper looked up confused and caught the demon staring back at him with an eye so wide it had to be grinning.

"Welcome to the mindscape kid. Not yours. Not just anybody's. MINE!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the cliffhanger! I already started working on chapter 3. Should be out in a week 1/2. Maybe. *Evil Laugh* Anyways, as always let me know what you think.


	3. The Negotiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill uses his great car salesman skills on Dipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it funny how you set a plan for a fic but then your characters take it in new exciting directions? That's what I love about writing~
> 
> As promised, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. The only warnings I have are the terrible spelling and grammar mistakes. I just couldn't edit anymore after 3 days of doing it hah. I think I have the chapter memorized. Anyways, Let me know what you think :)

"Welcome to the mindscape kid. Not yours. Not just anybody's. MINE!"

The devilish joy in which Bill said it caused a lump to form in Dipper’s throat. He swallowed hard but the feeling didn’t go away. The Pines man was in shock and without realizing it, he lost grip of the book he held in his hands. It fell towards the floor and he winced expecting it to make a loud _thunk_. Instead, just before landing on the ground, the book merely vanished in thin air and reappeared back in his palms. Creepy. 

They were in Bill’s mindscape? How did that make any sense? He didn't think the demon would even have one, much less need one. He wasn't human after all. This couldn’t be right.

No. Maybe Dipper had just assumed that the mindscape existed because Bill created it. He figured the mindscape was something the triangle could manipulate and form to haunt mortal dreams. Dipper never considered that maybe every thing with a sentient life had one. Human or not.

Therefore, it was a shock to him because why would such a delicate human flaw exist in a dream demon? Dipper found this and the following questions running through his head both fascinating and terrifying all at once. He had to look more into it.

"OH HO HO HO OH," Bill made an exaggerated show of wiping away tears from his eye, "Oh Pinetree the look on your face right now is priceless. Adorable even!" 

Dipper felt his face heat up. Now was not the time to space out and get lost in his thoughts. He would figure this out later. Right now he had an evil isosceles to outwit. 

"Oh yeah?" He huffed, "For someone like you, I'd expect this place to be more cuckoo, if you know what I mean." He made a point to twirl his finger around his ear at the word cuckoo. 

This place was way too tame compared to the craziness that Bill had unleashed during Weirdmageddon. There was nothing scary about the library around them. In fact, it made him feel warm and cozy. Maybe the yellowness played a part in it. 

Yet, to feel this good with something that had to do with Bill couldn't be right. He narrowed his eyes at the other. What if this was a trick? 

The triangle snorted, "Oh believe me kid, that's exactly how it is. You think I'd bring you into my mind in its full glory of weirdness? Hah you'd have nightmares for the rest of your pathetic meat-bag life!" 

Bill floated towards one of the couches and sat down. He crossed his legs and then motioned towards the world around him, "In fact, you should really be thanking me. I made this place look the way it does just for you Pinetree."

Huh?

Dipper strode over towards the other. When Bill gestured for him to sit down, the Pines man glared. He placed the book down on one of the end tables and crossed his arms.

"What do you mean?"

Bill rolled his eye, "To show you how I'd keep my end of the bargain of course. That is, if you agree to my deal."

Suddenly the brunette found his feet lifting off the ground and realized he was floating up with Bill. The demon soon had them at the top of the building so Dipper could see the whole golden-lit library. 

Looking up, it was like only the ceiling glass separated him from being able to touch the galaxy. He could clearly see the Big and Little Dipper that he subconsciously always searched for whenever he looked at the stars. The habit comforted him; reminding him of times he always used it to find his way home.

He brought his attention back to Bill and from the corner of his eye, saw that the demon was also looking at the same thing. A question mark replaced the usual black pupil the other usually had. It quickly disappeared as Bill returned Dipper’s stare with a manic look. The words "moment ruined" flashed through his mind and Dipper shook them away. 

Bill gave a weird one-eyed wink and pointed down. The man’s gaze followed.

"You see all these shelves full of books? Any thing you could ever hope to know about this universe and more is hidden in those pages." Bill placed his tiny hands on his nonexistent hips proudly, "That's right kid, all my knowledge at the tips of your fingers, waiting for you to read." 

What!?

Bill floated closer and reached out to shut Dipper's hanging jaw. The triangle seemed to smirk with his eye at him. 

The man flushed from embarrassment at having been caught looking in awe. He was surprised he hadn't been drooling too. Who could blame him though? The secrets of the universe were all here for him to explore. He was mere inches away from everything that could give him writing material for years! Bill was offering all of it to him? This sounded to good to be true. 

"No way," he pushed the demon away, "You're just going to trick me into getting what you want and leave me with nothing again. I want a guarantee that you're actually going to let me read these books. No tricks. No hidden clauses. I want the truth."

The demon got this excited look on him, bringing his hands together in front of him and leaning forward. Dipper immediately recognized his mistake. He had said too much and now the triangle thought he was considering his deal. Dipper glared at him, "Hypothetically of course."

Bill arms slumped and he sighed. "You sure have gotten a lot smarter since I last saw you kid. Have to give you credit there." His hand came up to rub under his eye thoughtfully as the demon considered his options. "You're really twisting my arm here, but I know a way we can make this work." 

Dipper scratched his arm and feigned interest, "Oh yeah?"

All of a sudden the Pines man was dropped from the sky to conveniently land sprawled out on one of the couches. Aggravated he pushed himself up and glared at the other.

"What the hell Bill?"

The dream demon ignored him, and this pissed off Dipper even more. Instead of a response, Bill snapped his fingers and made a chalkboard appear out of thin air. It was one of those old school wooded ones with the green board. It had wheels, making it convenient to roll away. A small hand picked up a piece of chalk and began scribbling on the board. 

"What are yo-"

Bill interrupted him, "Patience Pinetree. You'll see soon enough."

Curious, the brunette shifted from right to left trying to make out what the demon was writing. On one side Bill had drawn a triangle on top and on the other a pine tree. Dipper rolled his eyes. He couldn't make out what the triangle was writing, his body blocking most of the words.  
Groaning impatiently, Dipper waited until Bill was done. Eventually, the yellow isosceles turned and looked at him with a pleased hum. He brought out his cane a twirled it. 

"Alright kiddo, I know I haven't been exactly honest when it comes to our deals," Bill started but Dipper didn't let him finish. 

"Yeah you make bad deals," he mocked using his sister’s tone.

"Very funny Pinetree. You think I don't remember Shooting Star's taunts? I was actually pretty offended by that by the way. Not to brag, but I've made good on some life changing deals in the past," Bill retorted sharply.

Dipper was making the demon angry again. He could tell the other was trying hard not to snap at him. He’d never admit it, but he liked pissing Bill off. There was something comical about a triangle pouting or making a fuss. Yet, at the same time he knew it was a bad idea. Dipper did not want to come face to face with that form of Bill ever again. 

"Anyways,” Bill interrupted his thoughts, “As you can see on my board, I've broken this into a negotiation." The demon used his cane to point at each bullet on the green slate.

Dipper nodded and read the notes written. On his side it had two bullets. The first one was his side of the deal of Bill helping him write his books by providing the information of his mindscape. Across from bullet one, on the triangle side, it had Bill's demand for a body. 

Okay. Sounded straight forward enough. He continued reading. Under his side on bullet two, it read guarantee that the deal is truthful. On Bill's side it had a question mark next to it. He understood immediately.

"So you're saying you want something in return for being honest? What kind of rip off deal are you trying to make?" Dipper was really getting tired of this guy's shit.

The demon sneered, "Oh don't make this about me kid. You're the one who doesn't trust me, remember? Think of bullet number two as insurance and in return I only ask for insurance as well."

Insurance?

“So what do you want as insurance then?”

With that Bill turned around and wrote what he wanted on his side of the board, "I only ask for something small. See it’s going to take you a little while to get me a body. While you’re trying to figure it out, I need a way to help you. By that I mean a temporary puppet in the real world so that I can make sure you're holding up on your end of the bargain as well." 

Dipper was balling the bottom of his shirt. He was about to scream at the mad triangle, but then it hit him. Bill doesn't trust him either. He clearly just said it himself. If that was the case, then maybe he had more leverage on this situation after all. 

"So what? You'll do it by possessing one of my friends? Me? Socks?" He asked skeptically. The last time the demon had wanted a puppet things had ended terribly. Dipper saw red. 

"The only way I'll do that is if you let me choose what puppet you get or nothing at all!"

He was breathing hard. Dipper was embarrassed to find himself standing and shouting at Bill. He was losing control of his emotions. How did the other have so much of an effect on him? Ugh. The Pines man sat back down quietly, hoping the other wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. When he looked back up though, the demon didn't seem to care about his outburst. In fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying it.

"Yeesh Kid, some one has issues," Bill shrugged, "Alright Pinetree, I'll let you pick this time, but don't try anything funny. In the end I'll decide if your choice is suitable or not." 

Bill added in the new parts of the deal under their appropriate sections. Afterwards, he drew two horizontal lines at the bottom of the board, one on each side. Dipper then watched as Bill neatly wrote his name on the line that was on the triangle side. It almost looked like it had been printed on there. Like, who had handwriting that nice? 

"Now do we have a deal?" He floated up to Dipper and ruffled his hair lightly before offering him the piece of chalk. His hand was engulfed in his infamous blue flames. 

"You-" Dipper swallowed hard, his throat feeling tight, "You swear this isn't a trick and you'll be powerless after?" He felt panic raise in his chest, threatening to engulf him and cause a break down. The man so didn’t want to do this, but at the same time he couldn’t resist the knowledge around him. 

"I don't have much of a choice Pinetree."

There it was again. That tone of Bill's voice that caused his heart to lurch and believe him. How could this crazy excuse for a shape make him go from wanting to pull his hair out and never see the demon again to wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of his life figuring him out. The thought flustered him and instead he focused on looking at Bill. The demon waited expectantly with no hint of wickedness at all.

"Fuck. Okay...I'll do it."

Dipper slowly placed his hand in Bill's and grabbed the chalk. He was shocked to feel a strange and warm wave of euphoria wash over his body. Could that have been the other's attempt at comforting him? No it was probably Bill's excitement radiating off him. After all, when he let go of the small hand, Bill gleefully put his hands together and started running in place with those weird legs of his. 

The brunet rolled his eyes at the demon, made his way over to the chalkboard and scribbled his signature on the board. It looked plain next Bill's fancy handwriting and his words always slanted up and away from the lines. Whatever. It would do. He turned around and crossed his arms. 

"Okay. Now what?"

Bill seemed to think for a moment before he pulled out a pocket watch from God knows where. "Well, since we wasted a lot of time here, looks like we'll have to work on this later today. You've been passed out on that lumpy couch for hours and you need your beauty rest. Even your eye bags have bags under them."

In his mind, Dipper could imagine his sister shouting, "Bag check!" It brought a small smile to his lips. He looked back at the demon and found Bill staring at him intrigued. The demon cleared his non-existent throat. 

"Right. So get some real rest. You seem to have some matters waiting for you tomorrow that will take up some time. So call on me when you're done."

Dipper nodded even thought he was confused. What matters? He didn't have any plans. Before he had a chance to really ponder Bill's words, he realized that the world around him was starting to blur and fade. Bill included. He was back in his meditating pose. 

Suddenly, Dipper felt the floor collapse beneath him and he started panicking. At this rate he was going to fall. Wasn’t he supposed to wake up first!? He called out and reached towards Bill for help. His fingers were nowhere close to grabbing the other and he felt the blood leave his face as he began to fall. He was losing control and needed to wake himself up. Dipper screamed as he tumbled in the air to his death. 

Right before everything went black he heard that mocking laugh, "Oh and Pinetree? I'll be watching. If you don't come to me quick enough, I'm coming for YOU."

 

~~~~~~

 

The human woke with a start, gasping for air. He could still hear the threat ringing in his ears and it made him shudder. It had been a long time since he had a falling dream. 

Dipper moved a little and pains shot through his body. Sure enough he could feel that his neck was sore from the awkward sleeping position. Dipper groaned and pulled out his phone to look at the time. Four in the morning. Great. 

Then he noticed a missed text message and pulled it up. It was from Suus. 

"Hey dude. Sorry I couldn’t help you get all settled in. Meet me at Greasy’s tomorrow at 8. We totally need to catch up and I've got some amazing news to tell you bro. Over."

He chuckled to himself. Suus never seemed to grow up and that's what Dipper admired most about the big guy. It was things like pretending that his cell phone was a Walkie-talkie that made him glad Suus was his friend. So, even as tired as he felt, he couldn't turn down the chance to catch up. 

Oh

So these were the plans Bill had been talking about. The asshole really did see everything. How annoying. He tried not to think too much of it as he yawned and got up. The itchy couch had him scratching his back and then the smell hit him. 

Ewww.

All that walking around the woods meant that he stunk. It must have been bad too if Dipper noticed it. Usually when it came to smells, his sister would have to remind him to shower because it never bothered him.

He just wasn't in the mood for a shower right now. Even though he had napped, it felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Besides, no one was here to get a whiff of him right? He could just do it in the morning. 

It was decided then. He'd set his alarm extra early and clean up then. Slowly Dipper trudged up the stairs and to his room. No one would care if he went a night without brushing his teeth either. If he was skipping the shower might as well skip it all too...He shook his head in slight disgust. God he was such a mess without Mabel.

The Pines man made it to his bed and slammed onto the sheets with a sigh. He could just knock out right then and there. Too bad. Despite his body's protests, he turned to set his alarm on time and then got under the covers. 

Content he let his eyes close and mind wander. Just when he thought he was going to pass out, all of his worries sprang out on him at once. He had made a deal with Bill Cipher. A terrible deal that he was going to regret. He just knew it. What had he been thinking!?

"Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all that have read this, left kudos, bookmarked, and commented. You all are the best! I will try to have the next update as soon as possible. Maybe a week 1/2 to 2. Meanwhile, take care!


	4. Dipper vs. Maturity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper catches up with Suus and Bill think's he's funny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Next chapter already. Quite proud of myself really since it was a hard chapter to write. The head cannon came to me and I haaaad to write it. This chapter is a lot longer because of it too. Hopefully the longness doesn't bore you lol. Enjoy!

7:37

Ugh time was going so slow. Dipper slumped even further into his booth and put his feet up on the other end. He knew he was being rude, but he was just so damn exhausted. 

The brunet had gotten little to no sleep last night. His mind just wouldn't shut up. Instead, it exploded with a super nova of images with all the possible ways that this deal could go wrong. 

Eventually, the light faded and darkness settled in. He wore himself out and maybe passed out for an hour or so before his alarm went off. It was the worse sound in the world but he still got up to get ready and eventually headed to his car. 

Dipper then had arrived at Greasy's forty minutes early just for the coffee. He knew that if he didn't get caffeine pumped into his veins, he wasn't going to be much fun to talk to. As Mabel liked to say, it'd be like talking to a zombie. He missed Suus and he wanted to be able to hold at least a decent conversation with him. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to him that he was on his third cup already. Lazy Susan on the other hand was looking at him in concern.

It took a minute of her awkwardly staring at him to realize that she had said something and was waiting for a response. His brain had been to foggy to hear any of it.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" He asked scratching at the back of his head sheepishly. 

She laughed awkwardly the way she usually did at inappropriate moments and then continued, "Oh no problem Dipper. I was only asking if you wanted some fruit or a few slices of bacon while you wait?"

She put one hand on her hip and swirled the coffee pot she had in her other. Dipper looked at the pot expectantly, hoping she would pour some more in his cup, but she didn't. He looked at her face instead and noticed her staring at his feet. She made a small noise of discontent.

It was obvious that she wanted to tell him to sit up straight. She began to open her mouth again, hesitated, and then dropped it all together by laughing some more. 

Dipper immediately felt guilty about it and lowered his feet. Lazy Susan was always so nice to the Pines family, especially now that they was considered the town's heroes. 

In Dipper's case, she always wanted to feed him extra. She would always complain that he looked malnourished and give him extra servings. It was a bit endearing honestly but it also felt like having an overbearing grandmother. 

"No thanks Susan. He should be here soon," he finally replied when he realized it'd been four minutes since she asked. See? Zombie.

Acting like this, he knew his request wouldn't be listened to. 

Still… Dipper tried by sitting up and smiling at her, hoping to convince her. He was sure it didn't look great, but the lady gave him a small lopsided smile back. Seemingly pleased, she gave him a nod and then sauntered off to help her other tables. 

.......

It didn't work. Not a few minutes later, the blue eye-shadowed woman dropped off a plate of bacon saying it was on the house. 

Dipper sighed. He didn't know why he bothered trying. He gave in and grabbed a slice. Slowly he brought it to his mouth and chewed on it absentmindedly. 

He knew that the town treated him differently since weirdmageddon. People would always wave at him in the streets, give him special discounts, or ask for an autograph. It didn't help that he was slightly considered a celebrity here because of his books and TV show about Gravity Falls. He had always wanted to be famous and make it big. One thing he hadn't counted on though was how much the spotlight would unnerve him. 

Not to say that Dipper doesn't enjoy what he does. He likes meeting new fans, being praised and being highly recognized. He was just terrible at interviews. His voice would crack at the worst times possible. Dipper would have thought going through puberty would have ended that, but instead his hormones betrayed him.

He would also feel pretty bad when he let his fans down. It didn't happen often but when it did...

He winced at the thoughts of those nights he'd suck on his shirt until he made holes in them. A habit he reminds himself that he needs to break.

Dipper groaned and took another sip of his coffee. The beverage pools warmly in his stomach and the taste of bitterness lingers on his tongue. He licks his lips and continues to stare at the door and wait. In his sluggish mind he changes topic to think about his friend and how much Suus' life has changed since he was twelve.

It was a bit of shame that Suus had become the town's handyman rather than take over the Mystery Shack. Everyone knew it was his dream and Dipper would have bet that Suus would've been the best Man of Mystery after Gruncle Stan. 

It was for the best though. If Stan had left him the shack, it would have been a dying cause from the lack of tourists. The place would have gone under and the Pines man didn't think Suus would have recovered from a blow that big. He loved the Mystery Shack.

In fact, Suus loved all of Gravity Falls. Dipper recalled distinctly that after the town had almost been destroyed by weirdmageddon, Suus spent all of his time trying to put it back together. He dedicated every waking moment to trying to keep the town together and making sure tourists still came. He even convinced his cousin Reggie to start a business together, attempting anything to bring back the life in Gravity Falls. It wasn't Suus' fault that the town had been broken beyond repair. The scars of Bill's damage had cut too deep with the citizens. 

In the end, the business became Suus's career and Melody moved in to help him run it. She had the most experience running something since she had used to manage the Meat Cute cart. They made good money off of it. After all, every time something went wrong, people always knew to call Suus. They didn't trust anyone else, even if the man sometimes screwed up a few times before getting a job done right. 

Eventually after a few years the two got married and that's where they were at this point of their lives....

The door opens and Dipper hopefully looks up. Thankfully it's the man he's been waiting for. Suus waves at him excitedly and nearly knocks over a waitress as he makes his way through the diner. 

Someone stops to thank him for his work and when he finally makes it to the booth, Dipper is already standing. He was ready to greet him with a fist-bump, but Suus took him by surprise and pulled him into a tight hug. The Pines man melted. He hadn't realized how much he missed physical contact. He was too used to Mabel hanging off of him all the time.

"Dipper! Bro! Long time no see!" Suus said excitedly. He let the smaller man go and took a good look at him, "Your face! Nice scruff! You finally becoming a man, little dude?"

Dipper felt self-conscious immediately. He rubbed at it and frowned. His facial hair was getting a bit too past the fuzzy stage he liked. Anymore and it would look patchy and bad. Just another betrayal of hormones he had to deal with. Instead of admitting that, he scoffed at the man and shoved him playfully.

"Shut up Soos," he laughed taking a seat. "You're the one who still uses a night light to sleep and got married at Hoo-Ha Owl's Pizzamatronic Jamboree."

The handyman sat down across from him, grabbing a menu, "And it was awesome dude! Will E. Badger played some sick tunes that night. Who else is better at DJ-ing in this town?" 

Dipper snickered, "I don't know? Everyone?"

God it felt so good to laugh with his friend. He couldn't remember when he last felt so relaxed and not stressed about something. Lazy Susan stopped by and took their orders quickly, not wanting to ruin the obvious reunion. 

"You're right though," Dipper continued after the interruption, "Remember you were so nervous you disappeared and hid? We couldn't find you anywhere!"

Suus chuckled and scratched his head looking ashamed, "Oh man don't even remind me. Worst experience of my life!"

"Mabel and I looked everywhere for you," the brunet replied. The images of that day flashed back at him, "We were so scared of telling Melody you were missing. She caught on eventually and found you right away. No one else would have guessed you'd be stuck in one of the jungle gym slides."

"Still don't know how-" Suus suddenly stopped. He became too distracted to form a proper response when Susan stopped by the table and put out the food. 

That was fast? Dipper looked at his plate and groaned. It was pancakes and eggs like he ordered. What he hadn't ordered were pancakes with two eyes made from banana slices and a smile made from bacon. Okay maybe he used to order it like that when he was twelve. Key word here being twelve. He was a twenty-three year-old man for Christ's sake! 

Still...he was surprised Lazy Susan cared enough to remember. Suus on the other hand was ecstatic that his pancakes had a face on them too and dug in happily. He was the same child at heart as ever. Seeing how excited Suus was, Dipper shrugged and gave in. 

"Yeah," the brunet continued between mouthfuls, "It was actually pretty romantic watching you guys confessing how nervous you both were to each other. Eventually we all helped pull you out and into the ball pit at the bottom of the slide. You ended up having the ceremony take place right there." 

Dipper purposely left out the part afterwards when Mabel and Melody suddenly declared a ball pit war. It was bridesmaids vs. groomsmen. He did not want to bring up their humiliating defeat again.

The Pines man looked up and saw Suus with a distant expression on his face. He guessed the man was reliving the day over again because his eyes watered and then he smiled. 

"Where is Melody anyways?"

At that Suus snapped back to reality. "Oh right she couldn't make it bro. She was sick as a dog this morning. Says hello though."

"Oh man, sorry to hear that dude. Is she okay?" He asked hoping it wasn't too serious. 

"Oh yeah! She's tough like that," Suus made a show of flexing his arms, "But enough about me Dipper, how are you doing?"

With that, the brunet began telling Soos about everything that had been going on in his life. Well except for the Bill parts of course. The bigger man tried to help offer solutions to the writers block, but they were nothing Dipper hadn't already thought of. He still appreciated the effort though.

"What about your love life? Found any nice babes since the girl you brought to my wedding?"

Dipper blushed. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Why did people always bring up his love life?

"Not really man. I've just been too busy." He shrugged hoping it was the end of it.

"What about any dudes?"

Dipper choked. He started coughing really loud, startling the whole diner. He slammed his fist into his chest to clear his lungs. Once he could breathe again, he weakly waved at them all muttering that he was okay.

"Sorry bro, didn't mean to put you out there," the handy man apologized looking concerned, "It's just...Mabel has tried both ways and it seems to work for her. Just a suggestion."

Dipper's face felt redder than a tomato. It was true. His sister swung both ways and it didn't bother him. In fact, he was proud to say that he had been the first person she told.

Dipper on the other hand had really never considered it. It wasn't that there weren't any attractive guys out there. He just didn't want to fully acknowledge it and instead concentrated on his writing. 

"Yeah...maybe." He trailed off. He couldn't look the other in the eyes and instead picked at what was left of his food. He decided to change the topic, " Hey what was that good news you were going to tell me?"

"OH!" The bigger man stood up all of a sudden, his palms slamming down on the table. He had this crazy look on his eyes like he had just discovered the secrets of the Galaxy. Awkward. 

Dipper cleared his throat to get his attention and Suus realized his over reaction.

"Oh sorry!" He apologized to the room around him. He sat back down a little embarrassed. "Sorry dude, I totally forgot. I mean, I didn't because you sort of brought it up earlier, but I forgot you didn't know."

Right. That made no sense to Dipper.

"Oh man, this is the whole reason I asked you here dude. Dipper, I'm pregnant!"

The brunet stared at him in shock. What!? He didn't know how it was possible but that made even less sense.

A look of panic came over Suus' face as he realized his mistake, "Wait no, that came out wrong. We're pregnant! Melody is going to have a baby bro! We just found out a few days ago."

Oh my god. That's why she's sick? Morning sickness?? Why hadn't he guessed earlier? Mabel would have caught on immediately. Speaking of...

"Suus! That's amazing dude! Congratulations! We should call Mabel and let her know. She is going to scream when she finds out," Dipper reached for his phone but Suus motioned him to stop.

"Dude I already told her. I called her before I got here," the handy man replied. He looked a bit ashamed.

"Oh..." was all Dipper could form. He felt a lump in his throat at that. Suus was like his best friend. He imagined he would get the news first. Dipper pushed the thought away. He was being weird and making this about himself.

Suus raised his hands as if being accused and Dipper mentally scolded himself again for being so easy to read. 

"Wait! Bro I had a good reason. I wanted to tell you in your face rather than call because..."

At that the other trailed off awkwardly. 

Dipper raised an eyebrow, "...Because?"

"Becauseiwaswonderingifyouwoildbehisgodfather," Suus jumbled out quickly and then let out a huge sigh of relief. When Dipper didn't respond immediately, he looked at him a bit crestfallen, "Well?"

"What?" Dipper hadn't caught any of that, "Woah, woah, Suus slow down. I have no idea what you just said."

At that Suus perked up immediately, "Oh...Mabel already said yes so I was wondering if you both wanted to be our baby's god parents?"

A surge of excitement and pride went through Dipper. He couldn't believe these two adults who never wanted to grow up were going to have a baby and they wanted him to be a huge part of it.

"Of course! Suus I would be honored," he replied with a smile. They fist-bumped over the table. 

The Pines man felt Susan drop off the check next to them and walk away. Their food was long gone and Dipper had almost forgotten where they were. He reached for the check but Suus beat him to it.

"Oh man. Thanks Dipper. I was so worried you'd say no. Melody told me I was being silly but I just really wanted you to say yes. So to celebrate that, this breakfast is on me dude," the handy man exclaimed.

"Aw Suus. I said yes to being your best man. Why would I say to no to this?" He chuckled at the other for his irrational fears, "Thanks man. You didn't have to do that."

Suus nodded and pulled out his wallet. In it Dipper noticed his wedding picture sticking out. It was him and Melody laughing at the camera as they showed off the pile of tickets they won at the games that night. It brought a smile to the brunet's face. Suus took out some cash to leave a tip on the table, and then got up to pay at the register. 

Dipper was left alone to his thoughts. Wow did time fly. It made him feel like a kid all over again, because he had yet so much to live through. He couldn't picture himself that far ahead in life.

While he waited, his eyes began to wander the diner. He'd been in here too long already. Eventually, his view landed on the manly machine that had ruined his life for a day back when he met the Manotuars. He huffed. How could such a stupid thing have made him feel so inadequate? 

Still, he bet it said something different now...

Slowly he got up and reached for some pocket change. Dipper trotted over to the tester game and put in a quarter. He wiped off his sweaty hands on his pants before reaching for the handle. 

"Okay. Here goes nothing"

He gripped the handle and squeezed it as hard as he could. There! He had to get a good score for sure. He watched nervously as the light went up and down the meter erratically. It slowed down and was about to stop at Manly man when the meter drastically dropped and landed on...

!!!! Middle aged woman !!!!!

The light blared at him and Dipper could swear he hear snickering behind him. 

"What!?" He glared at it. Not again. He turned to the rest of the patrons there and tried to play it off, "Still broken. Right? You guys should really fix this piece of junk."

Unimpressed, everyone went back to his or her meals. When he thought no one was looking, Dipper gave a small kick at the machine and immediately regretted it as he winced in pain. 

Suus had made his way back to him and Dipper hoped that he wouldn't make a comment.

"Well this was a lot of fun right? I need to get going though. Melody might need something or me to help make her morning sickness go away. Once she does get better though we should all hang out or whatever dude."

The handy man opened the door for them both and Dipper made his way out of the diner. After a couple of steps he turned to Suus and felt pretty sad that this was goodbye for now. It must have been written all over his face because the other returned the expression.

"Well I'll see you later dude. Take care of yourself too you know. You don't look so well and Mabel made me promise to check up on you. So, I'll be seeing you around, you middle aged woman," Soos laughed.

"Aw man, you saw that too?" Dipper's posture deflated and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. 

"Of course! I'm almost embarrassed to be seen with you." 

They laughed for a good few minutes at that one. Suus then raised his hand expectantly and Dipper High-Fived it. "See you man. Take care of yourself too and say hi to Melody!" 

With a few more words they parted and the Pines man jumped into his car. He felt giddy despite how tired he was and couldn't wait to hang out with his friend again. 

He put his keys in the ignition and turned around to start backing out. That was until he spotted the familiar sheet of paper on the passenger seat. His good mood disappeared in a flash. 

Shit. He had forgotten about that. He put the car back into park and picked it up to read it again. It was a letter from Bill. 

He didn't know when, but at some point in time Bill had left the note in his car. It had been neatly folded into a triangle on his seat. Clearly the demon underestimated the chances of him not looking where he sat. Luckily this time he had.

On the front of the triangular note, a pine tree had been drawn on with green crayon. Of course. Bill was such a child sometimes. A crazy murderous child.

Inside, the triangle demon had made a list of things for Dipper to go buy from the store. From the looks of it, they had to be supplies for some sort of ritual rather than an odd list of groceries. 

Well...to be fair it hadn't been too hard to figure out. Bill did add in a paragraph that the candles and chalk were to be used to summon him with the instructions how.

What really caused him suspicion was that the demon failed to mention what the rest of the supplies were for. He had thought Bill was going to be honest with him. Leaving out the truth was the same as lying when it came to the demon. Dipper didn't trust him one bit.

If Bill Cipher thought he was going to get away with trying something funny, he had better watch his back. Dipper wasn't that innocent gullible kid anymore and he had some tricks up his sleeve. Over time, he had learned some basic spells from his research and from his great uncle Ford as well. It was nothing too advanced of course, but it was enough so that he could stun, trap, or protect something. Dipper made a mental note to get some supplies as well and then continued reading the note. 

At the bottom of the page, much to Dipper's chagrin was a self-portrait of Bill. He guessed it was the demon's little idea of a signature. The cartoonish looking picture was of Bill lounging on a chair with a margarita in one hand and the other pointing at him. Above that was a note written in red crayon saying, "Look, it's me! Not as good looking as the real thing though huh? Anyway, _Remember_ I've got my eye you!"

He rolled his eyes. Even though being watched bothered him, he didn't feel like he was at the moment. No, Dipper had more concerns than that little threat. 

Going down the list of supplies, there was one thing that stressed him out the most. One thing that made no sense at all. There was no possible way he was going to make it out alive today. Not without being killed by this request or by Bill if he came home empty handed. 

Bill must be out of his goddamn mind. How the hell was Dipper going to get hair clippings from Gideon!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go! Hope you all smiled once reading it. Sorry there isn't as much Bill this chapter, but I promise he'll be back the next one. If you all want, I made a tumblr to follow if you want updates. It is fallingforstarsfiction . I'll try to update it daily and give previews~  
> Let me know what you think. See you all again in a week or two!


	5. Twin Code # 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper lies and pisses everyone off. He must have a death wish or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy St. Patricks Day! To celebrate I am updating and giving you an extra long chapter. Enjoy!

There it was. Standing in front of him was the unmistakable Tent of Telepathy.

It really hadn't changed much from the way it looked ten years ago. The only difference was it's worn down appearance from the lack of care. The same wooden advert sign with Gideon's face was parked in front of the tent. Of course, some adjustments had been made. 

First off, the face had been graffitied inappropriately and it looked like someone tried to cover it up with more drawings. More specifically, a poorly disguised dick near his mouth had been made into an unconvincing butterfly. Dipper assumed the butterfly was Gideon's handiwork based on the pretty colors used.

Dipper let out a snort of amusement and continued his observations. Under the original sign, a new board had been nailed with the words "closed temporarily". Then beneath that a more recent sign had been put up saying, "Shut down".

The Pines man wasn't surprised that the Tent of Telepathy faced the same fate as the Mystery shack. He overheard that Gideon had tried different things to keep the place busy. He went back to his old psychic show ways and when that failed to bring in more than the residents, he tried a singing career. 

He also heard that Gideon had been pretty good at it, but it still hasn't been enough to start a career or have many fans. Eventually, they had to face the facts and close down. Rumors were that most of their income came from the used car lot next door or other schemes that the Gleefuls came up with. 

Before his stop here, Dipper had tried the Gleeful house behind the fence that connected the two establishments. He had hoped that with his family around, Gideon would be easier to talk to and convince him of his awkward plan.

Nope. Life was never that easy. Bud Gleeful had opened the door and mentioned that Gideon had decided to move into the tent a year ago. He guessed it was because the little guy needed his space or something. He wished Dipper good luck and then slammed the door in his face. 

That’s right, he had forgotten. The older Gleefuls blamed the Pines for causing Weirdmageddon. It was the Pines family that had brought back Bill and caused them to lose their business. It didn't matter that they had saved the town. The Pines were the bad guys in their minds. 

Although, when Dipper really thought about it, the Gleefuls weren’t entirely wrong. 

Dipper sighed, he was definitely going to need that luck. He just had to hope that Gideon hadn’t reverted to hating him again. 

Tentatively, the brunet made his way towards the tent. He looked around hoping to spot platinum hair anywhere. Meanwhile, he also looked out for anyone guarding the place. He wouldn't put it past Gideon to have attack dogs for people like him. 

Despite his fears, nothing came out at him and it remained eerily quiet. This place gave him the creeps. How could anyone prefer to live here? 

He got close enough to grip the entrance and stuck his head in. Nothing. No one was in here either. Inside, were a few benches facing the stage. Some of them were toppled over, while the others seemed to have junk littered on top of them. On top of the stage was a display full of merchandise that made Dipper roll his eyes. 

He never understood some of the crap Gideon sold his fans. What kid has his name put on clipping sheers for sheep? He understood the pins and banners, but even then he would have never bought them that first time he visited the tent.

Dipper crept closer and eyed the Lil’ Gideons dolls bunched up in a box. The plush toys of the man’s childhood self were just staring at him and he shuddered. Now was not the time to let his fear of puppets and realistic dolls get to him. 

Assuming the man wasn’t here, Dipper was about to turn around and walk out, when something gripped his shoulder hard. Dipper gasped and was forcefully spun around to face a big man glaring down at him. He screamed.

“Well, look what we have here?" the red bearded man sneered, "A trespasser! Do you know what we do to rats like you?" He paused for dramatic effect.

Dipper shook his head as ice-cold dread ran through his veins. 

"We squish them!” 

White-eyes bore into his soul and then threw him to the floor. Dipper’s head smacked the ground with a resounding thud and stars blinked into his vision. 

The red headed man loomed over him and placed a foot over his chest. He laughed as he then proceeded to stomp his foot down multiple times. Any air left in Dipper’s lungs escaped him as he curled in on himself. He could only hope that the man would stop and he wasn't about to die...

No! What was he thinking? He wasn't just going to lay here and take this! 

Dipper clawed at the leg and kicked his feet out to hit the bigger man in the shin. The bearded man howled and muttered curses as he gripped the injured body part.

Dipper rolled away and got up, backing himself up against the tent wall. His eyes made a beeline towards the entrance. It was too far. He knew there was no way around the guard. Not in his bruised condition. Not only that, but the bigger man had recovered and was inching his way closer. 

“You little shit! That hurt! You’re so dead!”

Now that he had a better view of him, the man before him looked awfully familiar. Dipper was too panicked to think clearly and couldn’t recall his name. He had to be one of Gideon’s prison lackeys that had attacked him during weirdmageddon. 

The man grabbed Dipper's collar and raised his fist. Dipper glanced at the soulless eyes once more, looking all over the man’s body for a clue, when the name suddenly hit him.

“Wait! Ghost-Eyes right?” Dipper practically wheezed out. His chest stung and he was sure there were going to be bruises. He was lucky that nothing had cracked.

The redheaded giant lowered his fist and frowned, “How do you know my name?”

Dipper coughed when he tried to speak and then cleared his throat to try again, “It’s me, Dipper Pines! Remember me? I’m here to see Gideon!” 

He was beginning to hyperventilate and bile rose to the back of his throat. He didn’t know if he could win if he had to fight the bigger man again. Still, he tried to think of different possibilities to get out of this situation in case the henchman didn't remember him.

Ghost-Eyes scowled, “Gideon didn’t tell me he had guests coming over. I don’t believe you.” The man pulled Dippers body closer and raised his arm again.

Dipper flinched, trying to protect his face from being hit. This was it. This was how he was going to die. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Bill anymore…

“Ghost-Eyes," a voice drawled, “What did I say about attacking our customers?”

Gideon!

The short and plump man came into view and Dipper sighed a breath of relief. He knew he wasn’t in the clear yet, but at least he wasn’t about to be punched to death.

“Sorry boss,” the red head dropped him and backed off, “The Pines man was sneaking around here like a trespasser.”

Gideon seemed to perk up at that, “Pines?”

Dipper watched as ice blue eyes inspected him. He gave the other a weak wave.

“Well if it isn’t my good ole pal Dipper Pines!” Gideon placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward, “It sure has been a while! What in the world would bring you to my neck of the woods?”

Dipper had to stop himself from staring. Man did Gideon look just like his father. The only differences were the pig nose, his shorter height, and the light hair. 

The hair. Oh god he hoped his plan was convincing enough to trick the other into giving him a little bit of that hair. He knew Gideon loved his hair more than even his own family.

Enough so that Dipper only could think of one way to get it...Mabel was going to kill him.

“Hey Gideon. Long time no see. You're looking good,” he hoped flattery would help, “Sorry for showing up unannounced. I actually came as a favor to Mabel."

Dipper let the bait dangle in the space between then. It took a moment, but sure enough Gideon’s neutral face broke out into an overzealous smile. Yes! Hook, line and sinker.

“Mabel? Oh my goodness, why didn’t you say so sooner? How is my sweet peach?” The platinum haired man brought his hands together and his eyes widened. Dipper could swear if they were in a cartoon, they would be full of hearts.

“Oh she’s doing good,” Dipper warily eyed the red head still in front of him. He really wished that Gideon would call down his guard, “She can’t wait to come back and visit everyone soon.”

Gideon noticed the look and snapped his fingers, “Ghost-Eyes, I think I can handle it from here. Why don’t you scurry on out of here and get me some Popsicles from the store?”

The bigger man grunted in affirmation and stalked out of the tent. Now that it was just Gideon and himself, the tension in the room seemed to lessen. 

“Now Dipper,” Gideon walked toward the back of the stage and motioned for him to follow, “Why don’t you join Lil’ Ole me backstage? We can talk all about what my precious Mabel needs.”

Dipper nodded and cooperated by trailing behind the other. He really hoped this wasn’t a trap. He never knew where he stood in Gideon’s mind. He understood that the shorter man would always have a soft spot for his sister, but he didn’t know if the friendship extended to him as well. 

Eventually Gideon led them to his backstage office and took a seat in a fancy manager’s chair. He swung the chair in a full circle, giving a pig like squeal, before getting slightly serious again.

“Take a seat boy and tell me what I can do for my queen?” Gideon giggled. He rested his elbows on the desk between them and placed his chubby cheeks in his hands. 

“Did she finally come to her senses and decided to give my cute self another shot at her heart?” Gideon asked hopefully. “I just cannot fathom why else she would need you to talk to me.”

Dipper sat down and leaned away from the other. He did not feel comfortable at all. What gives? After all these years was Gideon still obsessed with his sister? Dude it was time to move on.

Dipper sighed, opening and closing with fists with frustration. It was now or never. Mabel was going to be so pissed off at him, but this was the best plan that he could come up with. 

“Actually no.” 

Gideon’s face lost all traces of friendliness and Dipper scrambled to cheer the other up again, “Wait! She um was planning on visiting soon and she wanted to give you, her friend, a special gift!” He made sure to put special emphasis on the word friend. 

At that, Gideon got a twinkle in his eyes again, “A present? For me? Oh goody I just cannot wait to see what it is!”

Dipper could see him vibrating with excitement. He had small hopes that the plump man in front of him would believe him, but he was going to try his best, “Yeah man, Mabel is trying this new thing with her sweaters that's all the rage right now. She was worried you wouldn’t help her, but I told her you’d do anything for her…”

Dipper scratched at his arm nervously. He knew what he was doing was just terrible. He really didn’t want to go through with it. How could he betray his sister this much?

“Oh silly Mabel! Of course I would do anything for her! What does she need for her sweater?”

The Pines man gathered all the courage he could muster to try and confidently reply, ”A few snips of your hair.” 

Nope. That had come out all wrong. He had strangled out the word hair and he knew that it was over. He had failed.

“What!? Now why would she need that?” Gideon patted his hair defensively. He gave Dipper a skeptical look.

Or maybe there was still a chance?

“Don’t you know? There’s a new sweater trend where you sew in a little bit of hair to make it personalized. It’s the biggest tend right now in fashion. She can’t wait to make you one,” he lied through his teeth.

“Heavens to Betsy! She wants to make _me_ one of her famous sweaters!?” The smaller man almost screeched with excitement, “I dare say this the best news of my life!” 

Seriously?

“…And all she needs is lil’ bit of my beautiful locks?” Once again Gideon looked at him suspiciously. 

“Yup,” Dipper decided to turn up the heat, “But I mean I understand if you want to let her down and not get one…”

God he hoped this worked. He tried not to look too anxious and desperate. Swallowing, he watched as the other man pondered his decision. He could tell Gideon looked torn. Dipper wondered if it was possible to love your hair more than anything in the world.

Gideon reached for a drawer and opened it. He pulled out a pair of scissors and placed them on the desk before whispering, “Anything for my Marshmallow.”

Ew gross. He was getting tired of hearing Gideon talk about his sister like this.

...But hey he did it! Dipper couldn’t believe it. He watched as Gideon grabbed a small section of his hair and placed the scissors near the end, “This good enough boy?”

“Oh yeah dude. That’ll be perfect,” He supplied trying to be helpful. He hoped it was enough for Bill. The demon hadn’t exactly mentioned how much he needed. 

Once the hair had been cut, Gideon reached out and handed it towards him. Dipper pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket and watched as silvery strands fell towards the bottom. He zipped it up and placed in back in his jeans. They sat there awkwardly for a minute before Dipper stood up.

“Well, I uh better get going. I’ll be sure to get this to um Mabel as soon as possible and I’ll let you know when it’s ready,” he announced shakily as he made his way to the door. 

Dipper noticed his words caused a change in Gideon. Mistrust was now written all over his face.

“You better be telling the truth Dipper Pines. If I don’t get my sweater from Mabel, You’ll rue the day you messed with me,” Gideon got up and crossed his arms, “We may have called a truce and gotten along once we defeated Bill, but I still don’t necessarily like you.”

He wanted to scream and run out of there, but instead Dipper kept his cool and swallowed hard. He forced a smile and hoped it looked genuine, “Come on man, of course I am. You know Mabel, she likes doing weird stuff like this. Why else would I need your hair?” Dipper laughed but from his ears he could tell he almost sounded hysterical.

Luckily, Gideon seemed to think it was funny too and laughed along with him. 

“My, my look at me being all paranoid. Alright boy, be sure to say hi to Mabel for me and…” Gideon reached into one of the boxes and threw a stuffed doll of him at Dipper, “Give her one of these for me, will you?”

Dipper caught the doll with a yelp. He did not want to be touching the creepy toy. Despite his fears, It was way more important right that he didn’t offend the other, “Sure thing Gideon, I’ll see you around!”

Gideon began to say his own goodbye but Dipper was out of that room before he could hear the whole thing. He needed to get out of there NOW. The brunet made his way through the tent and once he was outside, he practically ran to his car. 

His chest ached the whole time, but he didn’t care. He jumped in and slammed the door shut. He didn’t even wait to catch his breath before backing out and heading towards the shack. 

That had been a close call. Way too close. Back when Gideon was a kid, Dipper had never really taken him seriously. Sure there were times that the platinum-haired boy had almost killed them, but Gideon never was a match for the Mystery Twins when they worked together. 

Then after weirdmageddon, the kid supposedly had turned a new leaf and he sort of did for a while. Still, it didn’t stop him from sic’ing his thugs on anyone who crossed him. He definitely treated the Pines a lot better than his family did. They were just never that close and Dipper never really felt like he could call him a close friend. 

Dipper slowed down when he reached the clearing that led to the Mystery Shack. Once he had parked the car, he finally felt himself calm down. He looked down at his lap and noticing the Gideon doll laying on it. He reached for it so that he could throw it in his back seat but then stopped. 

He needed to call Mabel. She was going to be angry for sure. He knew that asking his sister to knit Gideon a sweater was going to cost him dearly. She’d be even more pissed when she found out about Bill. That’s if she found out. 

Either way, he’ll have to make it up to her some how. He squeezed the doll in frustration and he freaked out when it suddenly squeaked an annoying catch phrase.

Annoying. Just like Bill. He needed to stop running into his previous enemies like this…He looked down at the doll once more before an idea struck him. He threw the toy over his shoulder and into the back seat before pulling out his phone. He dialed Mabel’s number, knowing very well that she would always pick up from him. Dipper took a deep breath, preparing for the worst possible reaction.

“Dipping Sauce~” she practically sang into the phone. It brought a smile to his face to hear someone so excited to speak to him.

“Hey Mabel. How’s it going?” he started off with small talk. He was sure that if he listened and let her talk about her day, it would butter her up a little more than just coming right out with it. 

He paid attention as Mabel talked about her date standing her up and how done she was with dating at the moment. She was just going to spend time focusing on herself and her friends. Dipper offered to kick the guy’s ass, even though Mabel knew he wouldn’t really. She laughed at that and said it wasn’t worth it.

“Thanks bro-bro, you always know the best things to say. What’s up on your end? Any luck with the book?”

He sighed, “Sort of…Actually, Mabel I need a favor. No wait, I need two.”

She was silent for a moment over the line. He could tell that she knew something was up.

“Dipper, what did you do?”

He could hear muffled and rubbing sounds coming from the other line. His best guess was that she was tugging and playing with her hair impatiently, like she always did when she was stressed. Well, it was now or never.

“So don’t be mad-“

She made a small huff, interrupting him from his train of thought. 

“You know better than to ask me not to be mad. It’s something bad, isn’t it? Do you need to be bailed out of jail again? Do you owe someone money?”

“Mabel!” he pretended to sound hurt, “I’m surprised you would think so little of me.”

“Ha-Ha Dip-dot,” she muttered sarcastically, “Out with it.”

“Well I sort of um…promised Gideon you would make him a sweater?” He said it so fast, it almost came out like a squeak. He wasn’t surprised at the screams and curses that flew into his ear after that. Oh yeah he was going to have to make up for it big time. 

"What!? Dipper! How could you?" The betrayal in her voice hit him the hardest. 

"Sorry Mabel, I had to. I needed a favor from him and that's the only thing he wanted," it stung him that he had to lie to her again. The longer they were apart, the more and more of a hole he seemed to be digging in their relationship. 

"Really Dipper?" She huffed, "What could you possibly need from Gideon that breaks twin code number five?"

Dipper sighed, "I know. I know you're mad but... I really need you to trust me okay? I've got this handled." He did not have this handled, but he wasn't about to show it.

"I promise he won't get the wrong idea. I told him it was strictly as a friend. I'll make it up to you?" He tried to sound sugary sweet but it came out wrong in his voice.

"Oh no Dipping sauce, you know the rules. You know exactly what you owe me for breaking twin code. We'll discuss that later and you'll make it up to me as well. Now what's favor number two? It better not be worse than one."

"It's not, I swear." He exhaled hard into the speaker. He was not looking forward to this punishment coming up, " It's more of a question really."

"Oh? Go on." She seemed amused by this, but still wary.

He took a deep breath. This was going to sound weird coming from him, "Did you happen to leave any sewing supplies behind?"

"Picking up a new hobby bro-bro?" 

He could feel his face heating up with embarrassment. Sure he'd used the stuff before when his sister needed help with one of her projects. He'd never willingly use that stuff on his own.

"Sort of...."

Now she was really interested, "Actually I did. Why?" 

"Can I borrow them?"

\----------------------------

After he got Mabel's blessing, he went inside the shack to prepare for Bill. He set up a few traps around the place as a precaution, unsure if they would get passed the triangle's radar. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Then he stuffed a back pack with everything he needed according to Bill's list before heading out into the woods. 

The sun was starting to set and Dipper couldn't get this gnawing feeling off his chest. What if he had taken too long and Bill was angry?

Well he was going to be angry regardless. Dipper's thoughts wandered to what he was going to do as he summoned the demon. Today had left him with questions and he needed answers. This was the only way he was going to get them.

He approached the familiar clearing and spotted the statue a few feet away. It was hard to tell what it was anymore. The only identifiable part was the outstretched hand reaching towards him. Over the years, moss had overgrown the statue. Given a few more years it probably would have become a hidden part of the forest.

Dipper set his pack on the floor and dug through it to begin working. Using the note as a guide, he started drawing the summoning circle with symbols in front of the triangular stone. The brunet didn't understand why this summoning was different than what he remembered in the journals. Immediately he didn't trust it. He made another intricate circle, that wasn't in the instructions, right around the first. This one he knew exactly what it meant. 

It took him a good fifteen minutes before he was finally done. Thank goodness at least he knew how to draw or else it wouldn't taken him forever. All he needed to do was the chant. 

Dipper felt his body began to tremble. He really did not want to do this. Deep down this was a big mistake. He had to remind himself three times why he was doing this again before he convinced himself to start speaking. 

With a shaky breath, the words came spilling from Dipper's lips. Once upon a time his Latin had been rough and choppy. After years of practice and a class or two, it came out of him smoothly like a song. 

He watched in awe as the circles lit up and the stone behind it pulsed a yellow glow. The world around him began slowly turning monochromatic and a pealing laughter rang in the air. 

It was only a matter of seconds before a portal opened up from the circle and the triangular shape rose out of it. He came out arms first with a joyous look in his eye.

"Oh Pinetree. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment!"

Dipper felt his throat lodge up. He could only hope it would work. 

Bill laughed some more, rubbing his hands together. He paused his gloating when he took a good look at Dipper. "Woah, what happened to you kid? No offense...okay plenty of offense, but you look terrible!" He reached out to touch Dipper. 

That's when Bill's hand bounced back and caused the demon to flinch away in shock. His eye widened considerably. 

"WHAT!?" He angrily tapped around him some more to find he was stuck in a bubble. His body turned a menacing red and he glared at the human, "What did you do!?" 

Bill was absolutely livid. Dipper could even swear he saw steam coming off of him. He had outsmarted Bill. It had actually worked.

Dipper raised his hands in defense, "Nothing permanent, I swear! I just needed to ask you a few things before I remove it. I promise!" 

He could see that Bill was not over this betrayal, so he let the demon stew for a bit. He watched as Bill muttered some curses under his breath before his color turned back to yellow. 

The demon's brow furrowed in annoyance, "You're really lucky I like you kid. Not many humans live long after fooling me. Now get me out of here before I change my mind!"

Dipper's heart raced, "No."

"No?" The demon raised an eyebrow, flames coming from his hands. 

Dipper realize me he better get to the point. He cleared his throat and steeled himself, "I told you, I have a few questions first. You promised me the truth and right now I don't think you're giving me the whole truth. I...I need to trust you..." he trailed off. He hadn't expected to say that last part out loud.

A beat passed and eventually Bill let out a sigh. He waved his hands in the air impatiently, "Fine, fine! What are they?"

Dipper reached into his pocket and pulled out a list. He had to write them down so that he could brave asking through them. It was like the Wendy date list all over again.

Bill gave him a look, "Seriously Pinetree? How long is this going to take?"

The brunet only rolled his eyes as a response before asking his first one, "I don't get it. Why did I need to summon you like this here?"

Silence. Obviously Bill wasn't expecting that question. When the demon realized that Dipper was expecting some sort of response, he finally gave one. 

"No comment," Bill placed his hands on his sides and looked away.

"Bill," it came out of Dipper's mouth almost pleadingly. That got his attention. The demon looked up at him with mild curiosity. It almost seemed like the demon liked hearing him beg. 

"The same reason Gideon had to. So I could roam Gravity Falls freely rather than be contained only in dreams."

Wait. That made no sense to Dipper, "Then how were you following me and how were you able to leave the note?" 

Bill tsked like it should have been obvious. "I have lots of connections Pinetree. Especially lots of meat sacks that still owe me favors. That's how."

Okay. That didn't answer much. The confusion must have been written all over   
Dipper's face because the demon added on, "Some poor soul owed me, so I possessed him for a while. That answer your question?"

Oh. OH! 

"You had some stranger break into my car to leave that note!?" Dipper practically screamed. What the hell was Bill thinking.

"Well technically it was me, so no not a stranger. Are we done yet? I'm getting really tired of this game." The demon glared at him again.

"Last one, okay?" Dipper pulled out Bill's note and pointed at the list of things, "What are you planning to do with all this stuff?"

At that the triangle laughed hard. 

"Haven't you realized it yet Pinetree? I didn't leave the note in your car because I wanted to. I can't go in the Mystery Shack. That stupid spell you put on it with ole Sixer still works." Bill shrugged, "Well not without some flaws. I can still haunt your dreams, but that's probably because I weakened the spell when I beat that excuse of junk you called a robot. "

"What!?"

"Let me spell it out for you," Bill rolled his arms in a circular motion in front of him, then pointed at Dipper.

"I need that barrier down Pinetree, and you're going to do it for me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I promise, I'll get to the BillDip centric chapters soon. ; )
> 
> A big thank you again to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, subscribed and left kudos. They mean the world to me and keep me going. You all are the best! See you guys in another week or two~


	6. Gullible or Naive?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins! Dipper and Bill work together to get closer to their goals and Bill gets a cute surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats! Here's an even longer Chapter! I had fun writing it so I hope you enjoy~

"I need that barrier down Pinetree, and you're going to do it for me!"

Dipper stared at him in shock, unsure of how to respond. He was still processing all this information. The barrier was still sort of up? Bill wanted it down? Bill wanted him to take down the last bit of defense he had? Granted he hasn't known before hand, but now that he knew...Did he want to do it?

"Well kid?" The demon began poking at the bubble again and tapping his foot, " I may have all of eternity but I'd much rather do this now."

Dipper looked straight at Bill, searching for...who knows what.

"Why?"

"Why? You're going to need be more specific than that Pinetree," Bill glared pointedly at him. 

When Dipper said nothing more, he let out a huff and continued, "Seeing as I'll be stuck here, unless I get those gears going in that fragile broken sponge you like to call a brain, let me explain. Since you didn't even know it was still up to begin with, I don't understand why taking it down would be a problem now. I'm sure you realize I need a place to stay temporarily. As for why I need you to take it down. Well, that should be obvious as well. Only those who erect a magical force field can safely take it down without any consequences."

Oh....Dipper let this all sink in. Bill really did have a point. It didn't change the fact that it still felt wrong. Mabel and Great Uncle Ford went through great lengths to put it up. It was better insurance than any of the traps Dipper had put up too. 

He looked at Bill again. This time the demon seemed to be staring at him curiously. Bill could probably sense the turmoil rolling off of him. 

"Pinetree, I don't know what's going on in that thick skull of yours but if I recall correctly, we made a deal. This deal isn't happening unless we do this," Bill fidgeted with his bow tie like he was offering a proposition, "I get the feeling that you're under the impression that I'm going to hurt you and this protection spell is all you have. Is that right?"

Dipper nodded and he heard Bill sigh. 

"Look kid, we made an agreement for me to tell the truth right ?" Bill's body grew slightly and flashed to the moment with them and the chalkboard, "I'm being honest here when I say I won't harm you. That is unless you fuck this up, then you'll really be sorry. I'm not gonna lie Pinetree, but right now I think you're doing a good job of doing just that."

A shudder went through Dipper. The demon was right, he was being foolish if he was going to choose now to back out of their deal. Especially after all he just went through. 

In a quiet whisper, he whispered the spell that would take down the bubble surrounding Bill. It made a small pop and the demon was free. Bill gave him a smug look.

"Glad we could come to an agreement. Now, do you have the supplies I asked for?"

The triangle looked at him expectantly and Dipper reached for his bag. 

"Yeah I managed to get everything."

At this Bill seemed to perk up, "Everything?"

One by one the brunet pulled everything out of the bag and listed it out loud to the demon. Once the backpack was empty, he reached towards his pocket and pulled out the baggy with the hair, "And last but not least, Gideon's hair." 

Dipper felt a small swell of pride at his accomplishment. He wanted to rub it in Bill's face and the feeling grew quickly when he saw the demon's dumbfounded look. Hah Bill hadn't expected him to succeed. Well he proved him wrong! 

Bill slowly floated up towards the bag and took it from him. He turned away, opening it and pulled some of the strands up to play with them in his fingers. What happened next, Dipper did not expect. 

Bill make a small choking noise, his triangular body vibrating in spasms. He'd never seen the demon like this, and he was worried he'd done something wrong. Dipper was about to ask, when the other then burst out into fits of laughter. 

The brunet frowned. His heart dropped to his stomach in pure dread. What the hell was so funny?

When a minute had passed and the demon was still laughing, he let out a growl. This got Bill's attention.

"Oh Pinetree! I knew you were naive, but I had no idea just how gullible you were!" Bill wiped a tear from his eye, "I was just kidding about the hair kid! I only needed those other-" He couldn't finish the sentence because he burst into hysterics again. 

Dipper felt all the blood go to his face in a combination of embarrassment and fury. His throat tightened and he stared at the demon, blood beginning to boil in his veins. Eventually it became too much and he screeched, "WHAT?"

Bill didn't seem to care about his obvious distress as he continued laughing in glee, "I thought it'd be funny. Wasn't it hilarious? Tell me kid, what did he look like when you told him you were going to take his hair?"

"BILL! Are you fucking kidding me?" He shouted at the other. He saw the demon's eye widen in surprise but that reaction wasn't good enough for Dipper, "Do you have any idea what I went through just to get that? I could've died!"

Bill raised an eyebrow. His eye scanned Dipper's body up and down as if looking for proof. It obviously wasn't good enough to the triangle because he shrugged, "Not my fault you were stupid enough to fall for that."

Dipper grasped for words. First he felt oddly flustered at being checked out and then he couldn't believe Bill didn't feel one ounce I remorse. His fingers clenched and unclenched and he could swear that if it were possible, he'd strangle the demon. 

"It's like the laptop all over again," Dipper groaned to himself and tugged at his hair in frustration, "Man I got my sister involved in this for nothing."

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was to break down right now. Once he gathered his bearings, Dipper looked up at Bill to see him quickly glance away and study his fingers. The triangle had been staring at him. 

"Yeesh kid. If it means that much to you, I'll find a good use for this," Bill absentmindedly played with the hair a few more seconds before sealing the bag again. He folded it up and stuck it in a conveniently appearing pocket on his body, "If it makes you feel better, I appreciate the gift, but let's move on to business. We need to get closer to the shack so I can tell you how to take that barrier down."

Right. Like he was just going to forget about how humiliating this experience was. He glared at the other before deciding to comply. Dipper collected everything and put it back in his sack, slinging it over his shoulder when he was done. He stood up and waited for the other to lead the way. 

Instead, Bill made a show of floating over to him and wrapping an arm around his, "Shall we?" He raised an eyebrow almost suggestively. 

Dipper blanched. 

"Yeah, whatever dude," he stuttered, utterly embarrassed the demon was getting under his skin so easily. Only the triangle would find it acceptable to be infuriatingly obnoxious one moment, to casually touching him another. 

Dipper tried to tug his arm free but the demon held on tight. All Bill had to do was give him a look and he gave up the limb. He was too tired to fight back anymore. 

Pleased, Bill lifted up his other small hand and snapped his fingers.

For a second, the brunet felt his insides go fuzzy and the world blurred. A sharp pain stabbed in his stomach and next thing he knew, he was standing a few feet in front of the shack. He tried to take a step forward but a strange wave of vertigo hit him and he felt himself slump towards the ground. Luckily the arm wrapped around his prevented him from hitting the ground face first.

"Woah woah woah," the demon tried to steady him, struggling push his 175lb body back in place. He swerved in front of him and placed his small hands on his shoulders. Bill's face was so close; he could see the strange look of concern that flitted across it. Once Dipper's equilibrium evened out, Bill let go and moved back. The hands left imprints of warmth on his body that made him shiver. 

"Sorry kid, I forgot you meat bags don't take to teleporting too well," Bill shrugged, "Not that your kind will ever figure out how to do it. But look at the bright side."

The bright side?

"At least you can rub this into Fordsy's face. He puked his guts out his first time. It was hilarious!"

Ugh. That was nothing to be proud or laugh about. He almost had too. His belly squirmed in agreement.

Dipper looked around him as his stomach settled and noticed that the world was still monochromatic. He wondered what time it was outside of this place. He hoped it wasn't pitch black yet.

"You okay kid?"

Dipper realized he had been quiet this whole time and snapped out of it, "Yeah. Let's just...never do that again okay? We could've walked here just fine." 

Bill hummed in dissent but let it go, "Your loss Pinetree."

Ignoring the disappointment in Bill's tone, he tugged his bag off and set it on the ground. He tried to swallow down the feeling of his heart beating up his throat before glancing at the demon again, "What do I have to do?"

Bill's eye gleamed with mischief.

"Now that's what I like to hear."

\-------------

It had taken roughly over an hour to take down the damn thing. Part of it had to do with how detailed the spell was, the other had nothing to do with him but rather the stupid triangle and his perfectionist ways. If he even as much drew a circle a little off, the demon would slap his hand and make him do it again. It took everything he had not to snap at the demon and call the whole thing off. Eventually, everything went according to plan and the shack was now no longer 100% Bill proof. Dipper just hoped he wouldn't regret this decision in the future.

It was out of sheer exhaustion that the brunet now found himself laying face up in the grass. He wiped away the sweaty strands of hair clinging to his forehead and stared at the dull gray clouds above. It unnerved him seeing this lackluster version of Gravity Falls compared to the real thing. 

It wasn't long before the view was blocked by Bill's form hovering above him. Dipper scowled. He just wanted the demon to leave him alone. It's like the other enjoyed annoying the crap out of him every chance he got. 

"What?" he snapped. It pissed him off even more that Bill just blinked at him and stared. 

"Alkaid, Mizar, Alcor, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak and Dubhe," the other simply recited. 

Dipper glared and shooed the triangle away, "What's that supposed to mean?" 

The brunet sat up and began getting to his feet. He dusted himself off, wincing when he touched his chest. Ugh. All Dipper wanted to do was go inside and lay down. He knew that wouldn't be the case though. He still had a lot of work to do. 

"Really Pinetree?" Bill gave him an unsatisfied look, "You honestly don't know?"

Dipper was in no mood to respond to being teased. He waited and watched as Bill eventually gave up and slumped his arms. Good. 

"Look Bill, I don't have time for this. I've kind of had a long day, no thanks to you," Dipper shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground, "Are we done here or was there anything else?"

Bill looked thoughtful and started playing with his cane, "We sure are! Just a few questions first!" Bill emphasized this by lifting a one finger, "How's that vessel coming along pal? Any ideas on what I'm going to inhabit temporarily?"

Oh right. He hadn't told Bill his plan yet. He had decided on what to use for the temporary body but the fact was...it was a bit embarrassing to say out loud. He hadn't even started working on it yet. Dipper had planned to start it tonight. 

"Actually I have," he saw the demon glow brighter with excitement that he couldn't help but smirk. Before Bill could interrupt him though he held out his hand, "But it's not ready yet. Hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow."

Bill's face fell for a second and then recovered. "Sounds great kid. Need any help?" He held the cane in both hands and leaned forward. 

"No!!"

Oh god. Had he screamed that out loud? Shit. Bill must think he's crazy. The startled look on the other's face probably confirmed his thoughts. The brunet took a shaky breath and tried to collect himself.

"I mean. I want it to be a surprise. So no peeking!" Yeah that would make sure the triangle didn't turn him down or worse watch him do the most embarrass thing a guy his age could do. At least that's how he viewed it. 

"A surprise?" Bill mocked him by acting bashful and batting his eye, "Oh Pinetree, you shouldn't have!"

Dipper stuck out his tongue in disgust but was betrayed by how warm his face got at, yes, the stupid fake flattery. Bill was an ass. 

"Yeah well, I'll let you know when it's done alright?" He crossed his arms and looked away. 

Bill closed his eye and nodded his upper corner in agreement. "Alright then, I'll let you get to it. After all, the night is young and the stars have come out to play," he pointed his cane up to the sky even though it was nothing but gray. Then as an after thought, the yellow triangle leaned towards him and sang, "But don't have too much fun. I'll be waiting for you on the other side." 

Dipper frowned. Everything was a joke to this guy, wasn't it?

He shook his head, but still felt his heart speed up a little bit in excitement, "So I get to do some research tonight?"

"That's right kid!" the demon grinned with his eye then pulled out a pocket watch to look at the time, "Now, as much as I adore your simple chit chat, I've got bodies to mangle and places to eat."

What!?

Dipper's mouth hung in pure horror and Bill laughed manically.

"Priceless kid, your face is priceless! I'm kidding!" Bill paused to consider what he said, "Maybe! Anyways, I'll see you in my dreams smart guy! Byeeeeee!" 

With that, Bill warped out of existence sucking along with the world around him.

In an instant, Dipper's eyes fluttered open and he saw the shack in full color standing in front of him. Thank god. The grays were starting to drive him mad. Is that how Bill became crazy? His head pounded between his ears and the brunet decided blaming Bill was the logical explanation.

Rubbing his head and sighing, Dipper moved towards the door and fumbled his way inside to begin working.

\-------------

Done. He had finally finished with ten minutes left until two in the morning. It had to count as some kind of record that Dipper had been able to complete it at all without ruining everything. Well, that is if sewing his sleeve to his hair didn't count as a mistake. It was a bummer too because he had really like that band t-shirt. On the other hand, maybe it was better that this shirt was harmed rather than one of his favorite beloved plaids.

He held the temporary body in front of him and grimaced at the sight of it. If Mabel had been here she would have laughed at him for sure. She would have done a much better job at this or at least been more creative about it. She wasn't here though and he wasn't about to involve her, so this would have to do. 

At least he knew for sure that Bill hadn't been watching. If he had, that loud mouth would have said something by now. This was without a doubt. Still his confidence deflated. There was no way the demon was going to agree to it. This was his best bet at making Bill as harmless as he could in a vessel.

Slowly he got up and swayed towards Mabel's bed. He took a pillow out of its pillowcase and stuffed the damn thing in there. He tied the end in a knot and placed it on the bed for the morning when he'd give it to the other. Why he decided _wrapping_ it, was beyond what his exhausted mind could explain.

After that he tugged off his ruined shirt and shimmied out of his shorts before flopping on to his bed. The cool sheets never felt so good on his exhausted body. Wrapping himself up, he got comfy and willed his eyes closed. He was really looking forwarding to starting his research. 

Before he knew it, the world around him shifted and the familiar muted walls of the library appeared before Dipper. Again he was standing by the Bill statue and he waited for the demon to appear. 

When nothing happened after a few minutes, Dipper began to really pay attention to his surroundings. Nothing was really different per say but now he could hear a faint tune playing in the distance. His mind had just associated it as background noise, like elevator music. From what he could tell, it was coming from the hall with the yellow hue.

Slowly, Dipper drifted towards the sound and as he got closer the more obvious it became that someone was singing along to the music. 

He walked through the hall, navigating through the shelves until he saw it. In a wide clearing sat an ebony grand piano in its full glory. The lid was propped open, making it hard to see the person playing it. Except it wasn't a person crooning along to the keys being played. It was Bill sitting on the bench with his eye closed, lost in the music. 

Dipper paid attention to the lyrics being sung and noted the hint of humor that seemed to come from Bills voice. It was like he thought the words were funny somehow. 

_"You can like the life you're living_  
You can live the life you like  
You can even marry Harry  
But mess around with Ike" 

Then Bill opened his eye and saw him. The tone changed immediately. It became bitter and venomous. Clearly this was not the intent of the song. 

_"And that's good!_  
Isn't it grand? Isn't it great?  
Isn't it swell? Isn't it fun?  
Isn't it?  
But nothing stays  
In fifty years or so  
It's gonna change, you know" 

At this point in the song, Bill's body flashed red and the bottom of his eye lid squinted in pure mischief. It sent a shudder down Dipper's back because that clearly sounded like a threat. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have believed it happened, because in a blink of the eye he was yellow and singing softly again. 

_"But oh, it's heaven  
Nowadays"_

The music ebbed to a stop and Dipper stared. He awkwardly shifted from foot to foot processing what had just happened. What was that about? Bill could sing? Well in that annoying voice, Dipper could hardly count that as singing...okay he was lying, when he thought about it...wasn't that bad. Maybe it was even a little enjoyable? No. It had to be the piano accompanying him that made it decent or the fact that it at least seemed like he had been in tune.

"Well Pinetree? Don't be rude. Don't I at least deserve some applause?" The triangle floated away from the piano and towards him.

"Yeah right," he snapped at the demon, "Why do you even have that here? Aren't libraries supposed to be quiet for studying?"

Bill put his hands on his sides, clearly offended, "I got bored waiting for you and shows how much you know Pinetree. A library is a perfect place for one of these, but if that's how you're going to be..." With a snap of his fingers the piano disappeared, "Better?"

Dipper shrugged and was about to say 'whatever' when he noticed the longing look the triangle made towards the empty spot. He immediately felt a flash of guilt and recalled all the times he made Mabel and Gruncle Stan flinch with his tone deafness. He knew he was bad and it never stopped him and they never discouraged him either. Who was he to complain? 

"Look…Bill," Dipper struggled to find the right words without sounding pathetic, "It's your mindscape. If you want to play the piano then whatever, I don't mind."

Bill gave him a curious look before it broke into a cheerful one. With a poof the piano was back and the demon's mood seemed to brighten...or maybe he was glowing brighter? Who knew? 

"Well then kid, shall we get started?"

Dipper nodded and was lead to a section a couple of shelves away. He watched as Bill rubbed under his eye with his hand as he decided which books to grab. Eventually he began pulling a few out and piling them in Dipper's arms until he was satisfied. 

"These memories should do for now. If they aren't what you're looking for we'll try something else," the demon pointed at the books. Once again he watched as the books translated into English from whatever cryptic code they had been before. Amazing.

Excited, Dipper made his way to a table and settled in a chair to begin his research. Then something hit him. How was he going to remember all this in the morning? 

"Uh Bill?"

The demon floated to him and shrunk so he could sit on the table without taking much space. 

"Pinetree?" Was his only response as he leaned back on a pile of books.

"Well um I sort of need some supplies first of all. Also, how will I have all this information with me when I wake up?" Dipper scratched at his arm awkwardly. He hated asking Bill for things because it was always going to be a deal to the demon. 

So it came as a surprise when the triangle only chuckled, "Did you forget already? This is the mindscape. Whatever you need just think of it," he waved his hand dismissively, "As for the remembering part, don't worry about it. Any notes you take here will appear by your bed when you wake up."

Oh. Dipper huffed. Well excuse him for not having been in the mindscape in years and forgetting how it worked. Still.... that was easier than he thought. Maybe Bill was taking this as seriously as he was.

"Right...thanks."

After conjuring a pen, notebook, reading glasses, and being called a nerd by Bill, Dipper got to work researching possible mysteries to explore in Gravity Falls. The information was substantial. Not only did it give in great detail the creatures or phenomena, it also provided vital advice about things such as weaknesses or the science behind it. This was the jackpot of everything paranormal that researchers such as himself could only dream of. No pun intended.

He was so into his work, scribbling notes and trying to decide what he wanted to find first that he completely forgot about Bill. The demon hadn't made a peep in what felt like hours and when he finally remembered about him, he felt his face flush in embarrassment. He really was such a nerd.

He peeked up at the triangle and noticed that the other was in some sort of trance. He merely floated above the table meditating or sleeping? Dipper couldn't tell. What does a demon do with all his free time? 

Curious he leaned in and poked Bill on his side. Dipper gasped in shock when that earned him a startled squeak from the demon and Bill flailed his arms and legs uncontrollably. He also could have sworn he saw the demon turn slightly pink for a second. Odd.

"Woah woah woah kid! Ever heard of letting sleeping dogs lie? Yeesh! If you need something, just ask next time." 

The demon looked at him sourly and Dipper had to try and keep it together because the whole thing had been comical. He never imagined he could fluster THE Bill Cipher. 

Choking back a laugh he manage to mutter an apology. The demon on the other hand did not look very convinced. 

"Very funny Pinetree, now what did you want?" 

Oh right. He forgot he actually hadn't needed anything. It had just gotten too quiet and maybe now was a time for a break anyways. He took off his glasses and set them down. Wearing them without reading made him dizzy. 

"Nothing really. I was just wondering what you were doing?"

"So you've never heard the phrase then." 

It had been said as a statement and not a question, but Dipper still shook his head.

Bill sighed, "Well since you're no fun when you're being a dork and studying, I decided to busy myself by seeing future possibilities, hopping dimensions, and haunting dreams. You know? What my kind does?"

"Oh..." Dipper wasn't sure why he expected more but he had. 

Bill seemed to catch his mood and to his surprise continued, "Look kid, I have big plans once I become human and I need to see all different outcomes this will cause without being killed or found out. That a good enough explanation for you?"

Now this was interesting. Bill could really predict the future? He just thought the demon was all talk since more often than not Bill's plans always failed.

"Plans like what?" Dipper knew he was treading in deep water by asking these things. He just wanted to know how much information he could get out of the demon before screwing things up. 

Looks like he hit the road block sooner rather than later because the triangle only stared at him in silence.

"Bill?"

"No comment kid."

This again? What was this, an interview or something? Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Look you don't have to tell me or anything but I thought we were going to try and be honest with each other. Maybe I can help?"

At this Bill doubled over in laughter, clearly mocking him. Dipper pouted. A no thank you would have sufficed. The demon didn't need to make fun of him. 

"You help me?" Bill continued to chortle, "Once again Pinetree, it's funny how dumb you are."

Dipper crossed his arms and glared at the other, "Fine! If you're going to be like that, I'm going back to studying and ignoring you."

The laughter stopped and he looked up to see Bill's eye pop in shock. Dipper smirked. Oh so dream demons don't like to be ignored huh? Dipper made a mental note to remember that later. 

Bill huffed at the smirk and rolled his eye, "No comment because there's no point in answering the question. Nothing is set in stone yet. I may see everything, but things change kid. I could tell you my plans right now, but the moment they leave my body, that alone could alter the entire outcome completely. The future, as you skin bags like to put it, is just a concept you puny humans use as an excuse to believe in phony ideas such as destiny or fate. It's time you meat bags realize that your _future_ has no meaning and time is dead. So that means the present and past, which the theory of relativity says is real, is a lie. Albert Einstein was a hack who guess what? Couldn't even find his way out of a paper bag!"

Dipper stared. None of that made any sense and he would almost bet that Bill only spouted crap like this because he loved to hear himself talk. Why was he making fun of humans anyways? Didn't he want to become one?

"You know," Dipper muttered as he chewed on the end of his pen, "For someone who constantly puts down humans, I bet you wouldn't last a week as one."

Bill scoffed at that, "Sure I could! How hard could it be? I was you for a day remember?"

Dipper shuddered. Oh he sure as hell did remember. It was one of the worst experiences of his life. He pushed the disturbing thoughts away as he wanted to make a point.

"That wasn't even a whole day! If that's how you treat human bodies then you won't even last two!" 

In his aggravation, Dipper bit into the pen and he spluttered as ink poured in his mouth. He threw the pen away from him and wiped his arm against his tongue to get rid of the flavor. It didn't really help. 

Bill chuckled at his distress, "Wanna bet?"

"No! What I'm trying to get at here is that I can teach you. I mean, I should if you want to be a normal human that doesn't stick out."

"Hah and why would I want to learn from you? I don't need a meat sack's help." Bill placed his hands on his sides and looked unimpressed.

"Well I'm not going to let you loose into the world with a personality like yours," Dipper pointed at Bill and moved to poke him but the demon backed up, swatting away the finger. It was cute. Almost. "You could get killed out there or starve to death. Do you even know how to make food?"

Bill's eye widened considerably and he turned, hand near his eye, obviously processing this dilemma. 

Dipper grinned a triumphant smirk.

After Bill paced in the air a few times the demon finally turned to look at him. 

"You may have a point, so fine. What do you want in return?"

The chalkboard appeared in front of the desk and Dipper looked at it in shock. Oh this was a deal too? Honestly, he had been offering it because he felt obligated to. Now that he was owed something in return, he wasn't sure what to ask for. 

"Well?"

Dipper looked down at his hands and then his notes, trying to come up with something. Wait, it hit him. 

"Um how about in exchange you help me while I collect data in the real world?" He knew it should have come out as a statement and not a question. Dipper mentally cursed himself but continued, "Some of things in the books are dangerous and I could use all the help I can get." If Bill agreed to this, it would be perfect. Dipper didn't exactly have Mabel, Wendy or Soos available like he used to, so Bill could be a somewhat decent substitute. 

The triangle let out a short laugh, "Really? That's it? You've got it Pinetree." He floated over to the board and added it on to the ever-growing list of deals. Dipper wondered how much longer it would get.

"Yeah we can start tomorrow or something. I have your temporary body ready so you can go in that," then Dipper's voice lowered a bit, feeling his face flush. He recalled how embarrassing this vessel was, "I mean, if you like it. You probably won't..."

Dipper watched as Bill's face went from excited to annoyed in the second it took to say this. 

"Why? What's wrong with it?" 

"It's a surprise remember?" Dipper half grumbled out. He hoped he didn't get the same reaction as earlier, "I'll show you as soon as I wake up."

Bill closed his eye in slight irritation and waved his hand, "Sure kid. Just remember, I have final say. It's may be only temporary but I have standards too, you know?"

....

"Hey Bill?" 

"Hmm?"

Dipper wasn't sure how to begin his question. He gulped and looked the other in the eye, "How am I going to get you a real body?"

He thought Bill was going to get excited and start spouting different ideas but instead the demon remained oddly quiet. His eye scrunched up in concentration like something was wrong.

"We'll get to that tomorrow, right now we don't have enough time." Bill pulled out a pocket watch and Dipper noted how the arms were moving either too quickly or in the wrong direction. How Bill could tell the time with that was beyond absurd.

"How long can I stay in here?"

Bill put the watch away and went back to his normal self, clearly amused. He floated closer, way too close. Dipper felt his thoughts jumble and breath hitch.

Then Bill flicked his nose, "For a kid with access to all the knowledge of the universe, you sure don't take advantage of it. You have any idea what people like Sixer would be willing to do to have access to all this?"

Dipper yelped in pain and sat upright. He rubbed at the sore spot, glaring at the other. He was going to scold Bill but instead decided to pick up the book again and start reading. Once again it had its intended effect. He peaked up to see the demon looking at him and pensive.

"As long as you want to," Bill suddenly began, sounding a bit...melancholic?

"I won't keep you here if you don't want to. Just say you're done and you'll go back to your bed. On the other hand, I wouldn't stay too long though. The longer you're here the less rest you get. If you stay too long, you could end up in a coma and never wake up..."

Dipper felt a sense of dread hit him. He definitely did not want that. Bill reached out towards him again and this time he flinched. This only made the demon chuckle and press forward even more.

"So why don't you get some real sleep?" Bill rested his small fingers on his forehead and Dipper shuddered, "We'll be hunting mysteries right? You wouldn't want to pass out at a bad time." Slowly the hand caressed its way down towards his eyes and closed them. 

The world went dark and he felt like he was floating. Suddenly bursts of color filled his mind and the last thing he remembered was the soft tone in the other's voice. Was Bill lonely?

It was then that he began to dream. 

\-------------

Dipper woke with a start, feeling groggy but somewhat rested. He looked around the room and noticed the notebook on the nightstand that wasn't there before. He let out a huge sigh of relief and got up, groaning at the soreness all over his body. He looked down at his chest and saw the purple bruises beginning to blossom there. Disgusted he put on some clothes. 

When he was finally ready, he called out to Bill. It didn't take too long before the world turned grey again and the yellow triangle was floating in front of him looking gleeful.

"I'm ready for my surprise Pinetree! Where is it?" Bill looked around, face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. 

Dipper fiddled nervously with his shirt before walking over to Mabel's bed and holding out the pillowcase.

"Um... Sorry. Don't get mad, but it's in here. I don't know what I was thinking, trying to make it looked like a wrapped gift," Dipper rambled on. He really was dreading the demon's reaction.

Curious, Bill made his way to him and grabbed the makeshift bag. He shook it to try and gauge it's weight, "Uh Pinetree? It sure seems small."

"Just open it." 

Bill delicately undid the knot and set the pillow case on the floor so he could reach in and grab whatever was in there. He slowly pulled it out and the brunet did not miss how small Bill's iris got. If looks could form words, Dipper would call this one unbelievable. 

The demon was holding the plush toy by its long skinny legs that Dipper had sewn on. He had used the star plush he had slept with that first night as his base and went from there. It wasn't too sophisticated of a job. 

Dipper had found some black felt and cut out long skinny rectangles to attach it to the bottom of the star, right before it's apex, as makeshift legs. He had tried to make arms as well but they looked funny so Dipper scrapped that idea. He figured the two points jutting out would work as arms. 

With the same felt material he had sewn an eye just like Bill's to the top half of the body and he even made a little bow tie for him. It was much harder to make the hat, but Dipper felt like he had done a decent job. All in all, it looked like a star version of Bill but like a middle-school kid had drawn it. With bated breath, he waited for the other's reaction. 

Instead of rage, the demon burst out in uncontrollable fits of laughter, "Is this some kind of joke? Very funny Pinetree, you got me! Now where's the real thing?"

Bill continued to laugh and Dipper couldn't understand the hot prickle he felt around his eyes. He was no Mabel, but he had worked really hard on this. He looked at his shoes, unable to tell the demon the truth.

When he didn't reply after a minute, he felt the demon's hard gaze on him.

"Wait...you're serious. Aren't you?" Bill's voice came out concerned but with a slight tone of incredulous.

"Yeah well," much to his dismay he felt himself sniffle. "It's stupid I get it! It was the best I could come up with! I'll spend all of tonight making something else," he spat trying to mask some of his distress.

"You stayed up all night making this for me? This," he gestured towards the toy, "is why you took forever to show up?"

"Yeah whatever. Just forget it," Dipper looked away again, unable to meet Bill's eye.. After a few beats of silence, he took a peek and saw the demon shift his gaze to stare intently at the plush star. The triangle shrugged and Dipper watched as he merged with it. The second he did, the world changed back to color.

"What? Bill?"

The moment Bill took control of the star it came to life. The eye blinked a few times and the arms of the star wiggled around a bit. A stern look crossed it's face and the whole thing was just funny. If Dipper didn't fear the demon changing his mind, he would have let out a chuckle.

"This isn't the most convenient body to inhabit but it'll do for now. I don't have time to waste waiting for another, but you better make me a body quick." The demon continued to adjust to his new form, moving his legs a bit and messing with his bow tie and hat. Much to Dipper's surprise, he didn't complain anymore and would instead eye him as if checking on him. For what? Why had he suddenly agreed to it when the fact was obvious that he hated it?

Dipper didn't have much time to ponder it, when a loud banging came from the front door. 

What the..?

He ran over to the window and looked outside to see the familiar mini yellow convertible named Xyler parked outside.

"Mabel!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations Six Packalope, you guessed right! I must have made it too obvious lol. The next hidden secret in my fic will be obvious but not so easy to solve. Hope someone will figure it out! So get ready for Plush Bill and many adventures these next few chapters. Maybe I'll draw him for you guys on my Tumblr "fallingforstarsfiction". Anyways~ Until next time!


	7. Popular

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel comes to visit and all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long to be released. I would almost count it as a double update because it is over twice as long as the rest of the chapters. It took forever and it may be rushed, but I hope you enjoy it. Mabel was a lot of fun to write so I hope I did her character justice.

Dipper stared out the window in shock. He shut his eyes quickly, willing the car to disappear. Maybe, if he was lucky, it was just a hallucination or a dream. He dared a peek and groaned. It didn't work. The yellow abomination of a car was still there. 

"Oh man!” He pulled at his hair in frustration as reality sunk in. He had talked with Mabel so many times these past few days. How could he have not remembered to tell her?

"Crap! I completely forgot to tell Mabel not to come!"

The knocking came back harder and he could almost swear he heard her shouting his name. He glanced over at Bill, unsure of what to do about this predicament. Dipper had expected Bill to have a plan or looked shocked. That was not the case. In fact, he did not like the look on the demon's face at all. That mischievous glint in his eye sent warning bells off in Dipper's head. 

"Shooting Star?” He pulsed brightly and wiggled his bow tie, "What a pleasant surprise! What are you waiting for Pinetree? Let’s go say hello!” Bill began heading for the door but paused to glimpse back at Dipper. The look on his face turned even darker, “After all, your sister and I have some unfinished business, if you know what I mean. An eye for an eye sounds fair, don’t you agree?"

Bill laughed harshly and Dipper wasn't sure how a star plush could look so scary right now. He swallowed hard and rushed to move in front of the demon. He made sure to block the door with his arms. 

"Bill! You can’t hurt my sister! Mabel can’t know about you! You need to stay up here hidden!"

The knocking came again and Dipper's anxiety rose. He had to get that soon before Mabel either tried kicking in the door or worse, try breaking in through a window.

"What? That’s not part of the deal!" Bill scoffed. He floated up and down trying to get past Dipper's arms. 

He only stopped when the brunet reached out to grab him. The star immediately moved back and away from his grasp. 

"Bill I’m serious!" Dipper started tapping his foot. He was itching to run and open the door. "If you so much as blow our cover you can forget a body! Mabel will do everything she can to get rid of you, including getting my gruncles involved. Don’t touch her and stay up here. I’ll think of something to give you in return later okay?"

Bill's eye widened a bit before it turned murderous. Weird symbols appeared in his eye like when it did in his usual form. Obviously this was not what the demon wanted to hear, but what choice did they have? 

"And what am I supposed to do up here by myself?" The plush toy spat. 

Dipper had no time to argue or calm the demon down. He had about ten seconds to open the front door or all hell would break loose. He grabbed a book from the shelf next to him and threw it at Bill. 

"Read this. I'll check on you in a little while!" He barely got to see the demon's shocked face, before he rushed down the stairs to open the door wide.

There stood Mabel with her foot lifted, ready to kick the door. He had been right. Dipper was also not surprised to see the pissed off look on her face. She hated waiting. That soon changed though as a bright smile slowly replaced it. At least she couldn't stay mad at him for too long. Mabel squealed before engulfing him in a bear hug.

"Dippppper! What took you so long? Were you still asleep, you sleepy head?"

Dipper squeezed her tighter. God that hurt his bruised ribs, but wow had he missed her a lot. He held in the hiss of pain and focused on responding, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't want to come down in my boxers and embarrass myself. I'd never hear the end of it." It was a lie of course, but she still accepted it somewhat. 

"Oh bro bro, here I was thinking you were turning into Great Uncle Ford, but instead it looks like you're turning into Gruncle Stan instead." She pulled back and made a Bwop sound as she poked his gut. They both laughed at that. 

As he chuckled, Dipper took in his sister's new appearance. It was never a dull moment when it came to Mabel's style nowadays. He had seen her not even a week ago and already she looked to different. She was wearing one of her trademark sweater dresses that was pink with white stripes. She usually had those tight leg things girls wore a lot nowadays, but instead she ditched it probably due to the hot weather. That wasn't what stood out the most though. Last week her hair had been a fiery red. Today it was a deep purple that stained her shoulder length curls. 

"Shut up,” he joked back, “What are you even doing here anyways? I didn’t think you’d actually come.” 

She huffed, “Of course I would bro-bro. Why would you think that?”

“Well, what about concentrating on school?”

At this she laughed, “It’s fiiiiine Dipper! It’s the weekend! You’re worse than mom sometimes. Relax!” Mabel waved him away and motioned towards the bags on the floor, “Anyways, we have plenty of time to chitchat. First, help with these groceries and my luggage.”

Dipper stared at the stuff on the floor and raised an eyebrow, “What is that for?”

She grinned at him, “I got us some food. Knowing you, there’s probably only milk, mustard and eggs in that fridge. You probably haven't had a decent meal in a while, so I’m making breakfast!”

Dipper pretended to look hurt at the accusation but she wasn’t wrong. His grocery lists were usually no more than ten items. He perked up at the idea of Mabel’s cooking and his stomach growled in agreement.

The next few minutes were spent unloading his twin’s car and setting her up in Ford’s old room. Both had agreed that while sharing a room again would be like the good old times, they were too old to do that anymore. They each needed their privacy. Especially, when one Dipper Pines had a dream demon living in his room at the moment. 

The last box he heaved in there, he noticed had his name on it.

“Mabel? What’s this?”

She stopped from unpacking her knitting supplies to look at him.

“Oh that!" She smirked, "You’ll see in a little bit. Right after I make my famous rainbow crepes."

Dipper winced. He liked crepes but he just knew Mabel was going to leave a huge mess in the kitchen. Last time it had taken hours to clean it all up. 

"Aw man, can’t you make Mabel syrup pancakes instead?"

"Nope! I already got the ingredients!" 

Dipper's shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew there was no stopping Mabel once she decided something. They headed downstairs and he sat down at the table to watch her cook. He'd only get up to pick up anything Mabel dropped to make cleaning afterwards easier. 

"So how's school going?"

He watched as Mabel let out a deep sigh. Oh no. This was not good. It took some prodding from her, but eventually she fessed up. She was struggling to get good grades. It wasn't that she didn't try hard enough. It was just that her ideas were not "good enough" for her stuck up professors. At this Dipper felt a sting of outrage. His sister was the best and most creative person he knew. When he told her this she shrugged.

"I don't know Dip Dop. I really want to get into fashion design, but at this rate I might go crazy and flunk out before I get to those classes. You were the one who always got good grades remember?" She gave a weak laugh. 

Mabel turned off the stove and placed the colorful crepes on the table. Each of them had a layer of whipped cream and strawberries. It made Dipper's mouth water and oh how he wished he had bacon to eat with them. He knew better though. Since Waddles became a part of their lives, Mabel had sworn off the stuff. 

"You'll do fine! If they don't appreciate you, then screw them. You make plenty of money selling your stuff online. I mean, who doesn't love one of your famous sweaters?" He stabbed a fork through his food and brought it up with a content sigh.

"You don't, you big doofus." She giggled as Dipper dropped some and it landed on his shirt. She began eating hers as well, but not with as much enthusiasm.

Ugh gross. He slightly cursed as he wiped at the new stain on his shirt, "I don't count! It's my job as your brother to complain about things like that."

He looked back up at her and saw a small smile form on her face.

"Thanks Dipper. You're always my biggest supporter."

He snorted pretending to wave it off as unimportant. Still, couldn't help smiling back at her. 

"So are you."

\-------------

Dipper's eye twitched at the sight in front of him. After breakfast, Mabel had brought down the box and now he wanted to do nothing but burn it. He hadn't seen these clothes in 10 years and he never wanted to see them again.

"No. It's not happening. Absolutely not!"

"Dipper you have to! This is your punishment for breaking twin code number five. Remember? You think I like making Gideon a sweater?!"

She pouted and Dipper rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Can't I just do the ‘I'm Dipper and I was wrong dance' like last time? Anything is better than this!"

Mabel frowned and put her hands on her hips, "Even though that was pretty funny, you're not getting your way out of this one. I told you that you owe me big time and I think this is a pretty fair punishment."

He groaned, there was no getting out of this. He may as well give up that much. Dipper slumped back into a chair, "Do I really have to wear this for a whole day? Can't you just take a picture or something and be done with it?"

She pretended to think about it for a minute before singing out, "Nope! Don't forget you have to wear it AND be nice to me. It'll complete the whole outfit."

"Ughhhhh fine. I don't want to think about it anymore until tomorrow. Let's talk about something else. What do you want to do today?" He closed the box tightly and tried his best to resist chucking it across the room.

"I dunno. Whatever you want bro-bro. I did invite Pacifica over for dinner tonight though. I hope you don't mind?" She wasn't looking him in the eyes but instead pulling at her hair.

Pacifica? Well that was definitely a surprise. Not that he cared either way, but why would having Pacifica over make Mabel nervous? 

"Uh yeah that's cool. Are you both having a sleepover or something?"

Mabel gasped, "Dipper that's a great idea!" She had a far off look in her eyes but then shook her head, "Maybe tomorrow though. Today is about you! What do you want to do?"

Dipper shrugged but then a thought came to him, "Hey! I just remembered I was going to do some research today! Do you want to go with me? We can be the Mystery twins again?"

He held out a fist for her to bump. She immediately squeed and bumped her hand with his, "What? We never stopped being, but yes! Mystery twins!"

He was about to respond but she put up one hand. "Can we do it tomorrow though? I'm still exhausted from driving, so I'd rather take it easy today." 

His enthusiasm faltered for a bit but he nodded. He could wait another day. A day to relax didn't sound so bad when he really thought about it.

"How about we watch some TV or movies then?" Dipper gestured towards the living room grandiosely. 

"Ohoho, I second that idea Sir Dippingsauce. Meanwhile, I can knit ugly Gideon’s sweater. Bleah!" Mabel made a face at her ex's name.

"Lead the way then, Lady Mabelton. For your pain and suffering on my behalf, I gladly offer the highly coveted throne." Dipper followed her to the room and he offered her the small couch. 

That's how they spent most of the day. It was a mixture of watching terrible TV or cheesy movies when there was nothing good on. A lot of the stuff was either old or reruns, so they mostly talked rather than watched. It was during a heated debate over which was the worst commercial this year that a loud thud interrupted them. 

"What was that?" Mabel looked up at the ceiling questionably and started to get up. Dipper held her down.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure something upstairs probably just fell. I'll go check."

Dipper was a hundred percent sure about what exactly caused that noise. To be more specific he knew whom. With a grunt, the brunet got up and headed towards the stairs. He put on his best annoyed faced when he opened the door and sure enough Bill floating there. 

The demon looked just as pissed off as he was, but it was directed more at the book on the floor a few feet away rather than Dipper. It took a second to figure out that Bill had chucked it in some act of frustration. 

"Bill? What are you doing!?" Dipper accused him, "What part of staying quiet did you not understand?"

The demon turned quickly to stare at him before letting out a huff, "First off that book is terrible! Second! How do you expect me to do anything with these stubby freaking arms!" Bill emphasized this by moving them with utter disgust. "Do you know how hard it was to turn a page with these things?"

He glanced at the title of the book from its place on the floor. Was that...? Dipper slowly made his way over to it and picked it up. Yup. It was one of those junior mystery novels he used to read as a child. When Dipper had tossed it to the demon, he hadn't really been paying attention to the title or anything for that matter. He had just offered it as a suggestion and as a method to for him to escape. 

"You actually read that?" He couldn't help the hint of amusement in his voice, "It’s a kid's book Bill. It’s not supposed to be high quality reading. You could’ve picked out a difference one from my shelf if you didn’t like it." Dipper ambled over to said shelf to place the book back. He was a messy person but these were a staple of his childhood life here.

When he faced the triangle again he felt a shudder run through his spine. Bill was just staring at him. No blinking, no emotion, and looking like just a floating stuffed toy.

Carefully Dipper inched towards the demon. Did something happen to him? Did he break Bill? When he got close enough he noticed the toy was trembling in what Dipper assumed was from restraint. Finally, Bill's eye locked on to his and squinted in anger.

"Kid, are you telling me read that piece of garbage for no reason!? I thought you picked it out for a reason. What a waste!" Bill was muttering curses under his breath now, pacing back and forth. After a second of this, he flew closer and stabbed his chest hard with a finger. "And you! I have a vessel now and you're just going to ignore me all day here? I thought we were going to go hunt your so called mysteries?"

Oh that's right. Dream demons don't like to be ignored. It was no wonder Bill was throwing a fit. Still, that wasn't his problem right now. Dipper's biggest concern was making sure Mabel didn't catch on to them. In fact, they were talking so loud he was surprised his sister hadn't come up to check on him yet.

"Bill shut up. You're being too noisy. I know you have this body now but, well, things change," He stuttered. Dipper had to take a deep breath to say this as calmly as possible, "I didn't expect Mabel to show up. My hands are tied. Even if she hadn't shown up, I'm not here to entertain you Bill." 

"Is that so?" The look Bill was giving him was dangerous. 

The brunet had to stop himself from wincing. As scary as this situation was, he would not be taken advantage of. He glared back at the demon and took a step closer. They were merely inches from each other at this point and Dipper could feel the tension radiating between them. Even if he was too close for comfort, he wasn't about to back down. In fact, he knew just how to rub it in the demon's face. "Besides, I already invited Mabel along for the first one. Since she can't know about you, you're not invited."

"What!?" Bill's eye widened in shock and he gripped Dipper's shirt and tugged, "Pinetree we had a deal!"

The grip sent a strange jolt through Dipper's stomach and he shoved Bill away. He noticed small look of shock crossed the demon's eye before it turned back into a glare. Yes! Looks like he won this battle. The strange victory felt good to Dipper. He smirked at the demon before waving the whole thing off with his hand, "It's just one mystery. What's the big deal?" 

"What's the-" Bill interrupted himself and the trembling started again. This time though a clear aura of red encompassed his body and his eye turned a pitch black. Flames came out of his hands.

The smugness fell away and Dipper immediately regretted it all. As much as beating Bill felt good, he forgot the demon still had power in this form. The last thing Dipper needed was to die. One of his back up spells came to mind just in case. 

"Get out!"

Wait what?

What the hell? That was Bill's biggest threat? Maybe Dipper was over estimating this form. Feeling a bit more courage he clenched his fists.

"This is my room! You get out!"

Bill continued to pulsate angrily. The star's brow furrowed with thought. Dipper could imagine that the demon was probably trying to come up with a comeback to that but there was none. This was Dipper's room and Bill was just a guest. At least Dipper hoped this was the other's train of thought and that he wasn't about to be tricked out of his own home. 

It looked like it was the former, because after a second, the demon's eye went back to it's normal color and the flames disappeared. 

He could tell Bill was still angry but at least Dipper didn't fear for his life anymore.

"After everything I-" Bill paused to reconsider his words, "Fine, but you owe me Pines. You owe me big time." At this the star backed up and floated on top of Mabel's bed. "Have fun with Star," he sneered, "I'm out!"

The star plush tipped his hat and then dropped onto the bed. The plush laid there lifeless and Dipper knew that the demon was back in the mindscape. What was with Dipper owing everyone lately? This was getting out of hand. 

Whatever. Bill could go and pout. At least he wouldn't have to worry about any strange noises anymore. He'd deal with the consequences later. 

Hopefully they weren't too bad. Maybe that's why, even though he had won the fight, he didn't feel better. He just felt agitated and frustrated with himself. 

What was Bill's problem anyways? Why couldn't they get along like they did last night? 

The thought's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Wait. He actually liked getting along with Bill? Dipper shook his head, trying to clear the disturbing thoughts. Yes that's what they were. Disturbing.

Right?

He stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut. Dipper then proceeded to go back down the stairs, back to his sister. He'd just lie to Mabel and say something broke to explain why he was gone for so long. 

He swallowed his frustration and put on his best fake smile. Once he reached her, he noticed that Mabel was looking at him like he's crazy. In her palms was her phone, like she had been about to call for help. Not good. 

"Is everything okay? I heard a lot of shouting and slamming..." She swallowed hard and patted the armrest next to her for him to sit.

He stared at the spot but shook his head, "It's fine. A lamp fell over and broke. It made a huge mess and I just really loved that lamp?" It came out oddly like a question. 

Get it together Dipper!

Of course, Mabel didn't really go for it. She knew he was lying about something but decided not to question him about it. Instead she gave an awkward chuckle and teased him, " I bet you can't even walk in your room because it's such a mess."

"Yeah... You got me. I haven't been able to clean it. I've been too caught up in trying to do research." Dipper rubbed his neck with a small smile.

"Dipper, you can't be that messy once you have a girlfriend. If you keep forgetting to shower and clean up, you're going to keep scaring them off." She pouted, "When was the last time you went on a date?"

Dipper muttered it. The last thing he wanted was a lecture from his sister. 

"I can't hear you!"

He glared at her, but gave in when she continued to wait expectantly.

"Three years ago."

"Exactly!"

He deadpanned, "If you knew, why did you ask?"

"So you'd stop being in denial bro-bro! The first step is admitting it out loud!" She cheered and Dipper became grumpy again. 

"That's for addiction, you dummy."

Mabel ignored that comment, got up and began tugging at his arm to pull him towards her room. 

"What are you doing?"

She smiled big, eyes sparkling with imagination. This made a wave of fear shoot through his veins. No, no, no! That look was never a good thing when directed at him. 

"Come on, I think it's time for one of Mabel's popular and hot-hot make over sessions!"

\---------

Dipper had no idea how he got dragged into this mess. His sister had forced him to shave; she had trimmed his hair, and sprayed him with cologne. Currently, he was sitting in a chair as Mabel tugged a brush through his untamable hair. 

"Ugh Mabel I don't need this! I'm fine the way I am."

"Dipper who are you trying to kid? You've probably been wearing the same shirt as yesterday and you hadn't shaved in weeks. I'm not going out tomorrow with a brother that looks like a hobo." She gave a particularly hard tug to the locks in front of his forehead.

"Ouch! Mabel! You're pulling too hard. You know I don't like people seeing my birthmark." He reached to pull his hair back into place, but she whacked his hand out of the way with the brush.

Dipper grumbled in protest. 

"Why are you dressing me up anyways? It's not like I have a date tonight or anything."

At this his sister stopped and looked away ashamed, "Actually..."

What? Oh no no no no no

"Mabel? What did you do?" It came out more exasperated than he wanted.

"So remember how Pacifica is coming over tonight for dinner? Well, I maybe asked her to bring one her cutest girlfriends over for you." 

So that was what she had been doing when the phone was in her lap earlier?

"You set me up on a blind date? You know I hate those." He moved to place his face in his hands. It felt hot and flustered.

"No! Of course it’s not a blind date. Well...okay yeah I guess it is."

Quick! Think of a way out of this. 

"I don't feel so good. I'll just stay in my room, you have fun."

She tsked him and pulled his face free from his grasp, "Tough luck Dip-Dop. I'm the best matchmaker around and I won't rest until I've found the perfect person for you! Now let me finish you up. I need to start cooking." 

"What more are you going to do?"

He regretted asking that. Next thing Dipper knew, she was putting make up all over his head. When asked what it was, she mentioned it was a sticky fluid called foundation. It was supposed to cover up his birthmark. He was skeptical at first and slid lower in his chair as she worked.

He was pissed off about this situation and he was still angry about the Bill problem. Sure he had spurred the demon on, but that still didn't explain the way he reacted. Dipper knew that a part of it was because Bill didn't like being ignored, but there had to be more than that. 

Was the demon jealous of Mabel? He had acted oddly to her arriving, and his last comment supported that theory. Then again, the way Bill had mentioned the word deal seemed off as well. It sounded crucial to him. 

Wait. Was Bill upset about-

"BWOP!"

Mabel brought him out of his train of thought when she dabbed powder on his nose. He immediately sneezed afterwards. 

She laughed, "Penny for your thoughts?"

He rubbed his nose, probably ruining the make up she just put on. "It's nothing. I'm just nervous."

"Mmmhmmm. Don’t worry bro-bro! You'll like her. She has red hair," She wiggled her eyebrows at him suggestively. 

Not this again. Wendy was a million years ago. Sure he still had a little thing for red heads, but he could like other types! Lately blond seemed to catch his interest.

"We'll see."

Dipper looked up into the mirror that Mabel held out for him and he noticed a huge improvement. He almost didn't even recognize himself. He looked slightly older then what he usually did. The make up covered the bags under his eyes and brought out the hazel color brilliantly. Even he couldn't tell what color they looked right now. 

He looked up at his hair. Woah. Maybe he needed some of this foundation stuff for later on. His birthmark looked like it had disappeared from his head. 

"Weeeeeelll? What do you think bro-bro?"

He smiled at her. As embarrassing as this was, he couldn't help but thank her. She gave him a thumbs up, "Looking good Dipper. Of course, not as good as me."

They laughed at that and then both headed downstairs. 

Mabel began cooking what looked like Chicken Alfredo and Dipper watched. After a half an hour, knocking came from the door. 

The twins gave each other a look and before he could even ask she shouted, "Not it!"

So the game still applied huh? Dipper rolled his eyes and pushed his chair back. Even when they did play fairly, Dipper seemed to always lose this game. No point in arguing or complaining.

He walked over to the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, on the other side stood Pacifica and a cute redheaded girl. She was shorter than the blond next to them, but height didn't matter to Dipper. The girl had on a beautiful dress that brought out her clear blue eyes. Dipper tried hard not to stare. Okay maybe he didn't like red hair as much anymore, but blue eyes definitely got to him. 

He looked back at Pacifica in front of him. She looked just as nice, perhaps even better. When Dipper really thought about it, technically Pacifica had both his likes. Too bad she was the worst. That and her blond hair was probably fake.

"Pines," she greeted coldly.

"Northwest," he responded equally as distant. 

They both stared at each other for a moment, before she broke out into a smile. She reached out to hug him quickly and then pretended like it never happened. Same old Pacifica. As cold as she acted, he knew she still cared about them deeply. 

"Anyways, long time no see Dipper. How are you?" she gestured behind her, "By the way, this is Ruby."

"Good and nice to meet you Ruby," he reached out to shake her hand and she just looked at it. She made a face and then reached out to shake it limply. 

Okay. That was a major turn off. This girl was starting to remind him of the old Pacifica.

"Pacifica!!!" Mabel tackle hugged her and they both giggled. "I made you something!"

Mabel reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a small box. She handed it to the blonde and Dipper watched as a small blush crossed her cheeks.

"Thanks you- uh you so didn't have to, but I guess I can accept it." Pacifica opened it carefully and pulled out a small purple necklace. It wasn't anything fancy like the hundred dollar one she was currently wearing. You could tell that it was cheap and that Mabel had made it from supplies at the craft store. That didn't stop Pacifica from taking hers off and putting this one on with Mabel's help. She really had come a long way since she moved out of her parent's house.

After a quick catch up, Mabel invited everyone to sit and started serving the food. He had been right in assuming it was Chicken Alfredo. His mouth watered as his plate was placed in front of him. 

It wasn't long though before Mabel asked Dipper to tell Ruby what he did for a living. It was obvious that she was trying to get them to talk. This whole time it was like they were both purposely trying to avoid doing anything but that. 

The earlier awkwardness had put each of them off. Still, he knew for Mabel's sake that he had to try. She had worked really hard to make him look good. Maybe Ruby was just shy? Dipper began to talk about his career and his book and how he was working on a new one. When that made her yawn Dipper tried to joke about the TV show and ask if she has ever heard of it. She just shook her head and changed the topic to about a reality show she liked. Dipper started asking her about it and she went on a rant about her favorite hot male actor. God this was going terrible. What had he been thinking? 

He glanced over at Mabel and Pacifica and saw them whispering to each other. Mabel started giggling while Pacifica just looked amused. At first he thought they were mocking him about his poor pick-up skills, but then he realized that wasn't the case. They were lost in their own world. 

He turned back to Ruby in front of him and realized that he had no idea what she had just told him. He immediately switched gears. 

"So uh what are your hobbies?"

At this she seemed interested. She flipped her hair, "You know shopping, tv, Cabernet Sauvignon tasting, frappe chat, and instaJam."

What? He didn't even know half of those words. 

"What's frappe chat?"

Ruby looked at him like he had just slapped her or something, "Ugh it's only the best app to post all your pictures of coffee from Starfrups! It has like a hundred filters." She pulled out her phone to show him and scrolled down showing him the pictures. To Dipper it all looked like the same picture of the same cup of coffee. 

"People do that for fun?"

She rolled her eyes at him and frowned, "Uh yeah. It's only the biggest trend around. Everyone has this app. Do you like live under a rock or something? I bet you don't even know what fun is."

Dipper flinched at being made fun of, but kept his cool. She wasn't really nice. Then again, neither was Pacifica once upon a time.

"I like doing fun stuff all the time," he replied and immediately regretted it as soon as it came out. He sounded like a little kid fighting a bully.

"Like what? And I mean cool stuff. Mystery nerd stuff doesn't count," she jeered. 

"Uh...um...I go to parties all the time."

"No you don't. Not to be rude but you don't look like the party type. If you did you'd know what frappe chat is."

Dipper gaped at her. That was completely rude.

"Oh my god, you look like you're going to cry. Did I hurt your feelings? Gosh how pathetic, you really are such a nerd."

Dipper felt all the blood go to his head in pure embarrassment and shame. He pushed his half eaten plate away on the table, making all the silverware clatter, and stood up.

"That's it. I don't need to stand for this crap. I've only been nice to you and you've been downright terrible to me this whole time. I'm going upstairs."

He glanced over to the other girls and saw them staring at him in shock. Ruby turned beet red and looked apologetic towards Pacifica. She probably hadn't expected this. In return, the blonde glared at the redhead. 

Whatever. He was past caring about what others thought of him. He couldn't please anyone it seemed. Dipper pushed the chair back and headed upstairs, ruffling his hair into it's usual place.

"Dipper!" He heard his sister shout after him. He chose not to respond and kept on going to his room. 

He was fuming.

This idea of hers had been incredibly stupid. Why had he gone through it again?

Dipper paused when he felt a warm hand grab his sleeve. She had caught up to him.

"Not now Mabel," he turned to give her a pleading frown, "Please, leave me alone." He shrugged her off and walked into his room. 

"Wait!" She was distressed, but Dipper didn't care. He just needed some time alone. He slammed the door closed and started tugging his clothes to change into something more comfortable. Afterwards, he fell into his bed and glared at the ceiling. Today was just not his day.

It didn't help seeing the stupid star toy still laying motionless on Mabel's bed. It unnerved him and he wanted Bill to say something. He could use the distraction right now. Unfortunately, it looked like all he was going to get was silence. 

The silence lasted a few minutes before a soft knock came from his door. 

"Go away Mabel." He groaned. He wasn't ready to deal with the consequences just yet. He bet she was furious now.

"It's not Mabel. Dipper it's me, Pacifica."

Oh 

Dipper got up and headed towards the door He was about to turn the knob, before he stopped himself. Bill. He walked over to the bed and hid the demon toy under Mabel's pillow, just in case she was trying to ambush him with Pacifica. Dipper walked back towards the door and opened it a creak to stare into blue eyes. 

"So um, can I come in?" Her gaze shifted downer to her nails and tried to play off looking disinterested. He could tell she was more nervous than she acted. 

Dipper's shoulders slumped in defeat. He was exhausted and didn't want to cause any more fights, "Fine, sorry it's a mess in here." 

He watched as she waltzed in and sat down on Mabel's bed. A small smile appeared on her face as she admired all the old posters adorned on the wall behind it. 

"I didn't know Mabel used to like Several Timez too," Pacifica reached up to touch the guy with a hat that had hearts drawn on it, "Looks like we both had the biggest crush on Deep Chris as well."

He just stared at her awkwardly. Well that hadn't been what he expected her to say. She was always a pretty straightforward person. I guess this time he had to be the one to not beat around the bush. 

"Pacifica. Look, if you're here to convince me to go apologize to Ruby, then you might as well give up. I know I could've handled it better, but a sorry from me is so not happening." He crossed his arms and expected a confrontation but instead he got a weak smile. 

"Actually. I'm here to apologize to you. I heard what Ruby said and I'm sorry. She shouldn't have treated you like that...even if you are a big nerd."

"That's not helping."

She held out her hands defensively, "I know. I know, but when Mabel texted me saying she wanted to hook you up, I asked what kind of girls you liked. When she mentioned that you liked red headed girls who are cool...I thought by cool she meant popular. I should have realized that by cool, you'd be more interested in girls who are chill and laid back. It was my mistake. I talked to Ruby and she went home already, but you need to talk to Mabel. She's pretty upset about it all. She like blames herself, even though I told her it was all me."

He saw her look at her heels and twirl her fingers in her long hair nervously. Pacifica came up here to get him to talk to Mabel? He watched her for a few seconds more and noticed how she began touching the necklace Mabel had gotten her and smiled. Realization dawned on him.

"You really care about Mabel huh?"

At that she snapped her head back up and stared wide eyed at him. The slight blush that crossed her cheeks didn't go by him unnoticed. Her shocked faced quickly became annoyed. 

"I care about you both stupid! And you better not tell anyone about that or I'll deny it!"

Dipper laughed and it was his turn to put his hands up. "Okay, okay but that's not what I asked. You like her, like her, don't you?"

Her hands balled into fists and she looked like she was ready to sock him, "Dipper Pines I am so done talking to you. I'm leaving and Mabel is spending the night at my place tomorrow." She got up and headed towards the door, before turning back to glare at him once more, "Go talk to her. Bye!"

She grabbed his door handle to close it, but before she could Dipper whispered, "Just tell her." This only pissed her off more and she slammed the door shut.

That was too funny. Pacifica didn't have to admit it, but based on those reactions alone he knew he was right. He wondered if she stood a chance with Mabel. Probably.

Mabel. 

The guilt about snapping at his sister finally came. Immediately he got up to go find her. It wasn't too hard. As expected, Mabel was closing the front door and saying her goodbyes to Pacifica. He caught her just as she was turning to return to her room.

"Oh! Dipper you scared me!" She grabbed at her chest and exhaled, "Look Dip I'm-"

He shook his head and interrupted her, "It's alright Mabel, Pacifica already explained. I know you were trying your best. I appreciate it, but I'll handle my own love life from now on."

She looked at him with small tears forming in her hazel eyes. 

"So you're not mad at me anymore?"

"I was never mad at you. I just needed time to cool off." He scratched at his arm and smiled at her. 

"She was a big jerk face and you were a true gentleman. No one talks to my brother like that." Mabel supplied, trying to be helpful.

"Okay I get it. You don't have to explain anymore," when she still looked pretty torn up about it he held his arms out wide, "Awkward sibling hug?"

She rubbed at her eyes and beamed at him. It only took her a second to meet his open arms, "Awkward sibling hug!"

"Pat pat!"

They laugh together for moment before Dipper yawned. "Well I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. We'll go mystery hunting in the morning okay?"

She nodded and let him go, "Okay but don't forget to wear your costume!" 

"Ugh Mabel! Seriously? Don't remind me!" He rolled his eyes and watched her flee to her room to escape his fury. Once she had shut the door, he climbed up the stairs to his own bed. He pulled off his clothes and tossed them to the ever-growing pile on the floor. Dipper would clean it up later. Maybe.

He was about to land on his bed and pass out until he remembered Bill. He was sure the demon was still pissed at him, but maybe he'd forgiven him enough to take him back to his mindscape again. Dipper really wanted to continue where he left off. In fact he'd never been this excited about sleeping in a long while.

He walked over to Mabel's bed and pulled out the stuffed star from under the pillow. He adjusted him face up and held him with both hands. When it didn't immediately come to life, he frowned. He knew the demon was probably watching him from the mindscape. He always said he was. The close was clear, so why wasn't he back in the body? 

"Bill?"

Nothing.

"Can we talk about this?"

Again there was no response and Dipper felt a pang hit his chest. It was a weird and unwelcome feeling and Dipper pushed it aside. Besides, it probably had to do with the disappointing realization that he wouldn't get to do research, than anything having to do with Bill. Yeah...

The twinge came back and he growled in frustration. He tossed the toy back onto Mabel's bed and went to bed. He'd deal with all of this tomorrow. 

 

~~~~~~~

 

Dipper woke up screaming again.

In fact he had spent the whole night doing this, tossing and turning in frustration. The causes, of course, were nightmares. Well to be specific, a nightmare. That was because it was the exact same one, over and over again. 

He shuddered remembering him and Mabel running and trying to escape the dark corridors of the fearamid maze. Behind them he knew was Bill, chasing them in his true form. Yet the horrifying monster never appeared in his dream and he'd wake up whenever they hit a dead end. 

He used to have these nightmares a lot when he was thirteen. Every now and then, he'd get one. Just, not this many times in a row. He knew Bill had something to do with this. It was probably a reminder of how scary the demon could be if you messed with him. 

Dipper groaned as he looked at the clock. It was time to get up. He could already hear Mabel making a racket downstairs. He hope she didn't make too much of a mess again. 

Still, his thoughts lingered on his yellow companion. He would not let Bill get to him. Bill can't hurt him as long as he needs something from Dipper, but he needed to make sure Bill couldn't hurt any one he cared about. He was sure he could come up with a good enough deal to satisfy the star currently laying face down on the opposite mattress. He just didn't know what yet. 

Dipper rolled off the bed and started to get ready for the day ahead. Unwillingly, he opened the box on his desk that had his name on it. Just seeing the colorful contents inside made him cringe. He felt gross and shuddered as he put the fabric on. 

It took all his willpower not to gag when he saw the completed outfit in the mirror.

"I hate you so much."

Staring back at him was an older version of Dippy Fresh flipping him the bird. The costume was the exact same as it was when he met the infuriating bastard ten years ago. The only difference was the lack of a skateboard and helmet. Wait he couldn't remember if there was a helmet or not...

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the plush toy still lying where he left it. Honestly, he was so mad he just wanted to head downstairs and forget about the demon. Still, he couldn't resist the odd urge to say something. He didn't know if it was because he always gave in during fights or because he just couldn't be rude, but he decided to go with his gut feeling. Dipper walked over the star and lifted him once again. 

"Bill?"

Of course there was no response. 

"Ugh this is so stupid. Look, I get it. You're pissed. So am I. Those nightmares were a low blow, just so you know." He poked the star right in the middle, "Anyways, I'm leaving with Mabel to go explore that magical garden I read about. I'll be back later today, so behave and don't leave the house." 

He didn't know why he had to say it, but he did. Maybe it was because Dipper hoped Bill wasn't secretly running around and pretending to not be using the body. Who knew what kind of mischief that would cause.

"We need to talk, so whenever you're ready, let me know. I have something important to say. For now though, stay here."

Formulating a plan, he walked over to his bed and set Bill down on it. He then began checking out his bookshelf for a good book. Settling on his favorite one about conspiracy theories, he laid it next to the toy and headed downstairs. Maybe this one would be better suited to the demon's taste.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately wanted to go back up. Mabel was staring at him, clearly over the moon at his appearance. She let out a high-pitched squeak and gave him a big hug. 

"Yeah, yeah, Mabel I hope you're happy. Can we get going? The sooner we go and come back the better."

"What? Don't you want breakfast?" She pulled away and leaded him towards the kitchen, "I made you coffee."

"Nah, let just pack some snacks and eat those along the way." Mabel grabbed a travel mug from the counter and handed it to him. Dipper accepted the cup and took a sip. He winced. Mabel always put too much sugar. 

She gave him a worried look. It must be pretty obvious he felt like crap and hadn't got much sleep. He thought she was going to refuse but instead she relented, "Okay. Oh but first say the phrase and do the pose!"

What? No. So not happening. It was bad enough having to wear this. 

"Do what? I don't know what you're taking about."

"Don't play dumb!" She began pumping her arms up and down and chanting, "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Dipper crossed his arms and when Mabel noticed her face dropped. She gave him the best ‘kicked puppy’ look she could manage. Dammit that always worked on him and today was going to be no different.

"Fine...Flip a Dip Dip. I'm Dippy Fresh!" his voice cracked with shame and he weakly did the pose. He flinched when he heard the camera on her phone go off. Great, another one for the scrapbook. Maybe he could convince her not to show anyone. 

"Happy now?" 

She squealed with a high-pitched yes and raised her hand, "I am Dippy, but you know what would make it perfect?" He wiggled her eyebrows and fingers. "High five?"

"Aaaaaaand you are now dead to me Mabel because that's never going to happen." Dipper stormed out the door and Mabel followed after him with a laugh. This was so not his weekend.

———

Fifteen minutes later and they were standing in front of the fence that blocked off the condemned convenience store. Dipper couldn't remember the last time they had walked by the haunted Dusk 2 Dawn.

Mabel gripped the chain-link steel in between her fingers and shook it, "What are we doing here? Let me guess. You found a monster that eats candy!?"

"You wish! But no, it's not that." He pointed to the area he wanted to go, "Behind the store is a garden, that ghosts Ma and Pa kept to have fresh produce in their store everyday. It probably hasn't been tended to very well but- " Dipper pulled out his notes and read off them, "According to my information, the weirdness in Gravity Falls caused the garden to mutate and survive. It's said that if you eat the fruits or vegetables, you can gain special abilities."

Dipper looked up in time to watch Mabel poke his nose and chant, "Nerd alert!"

"Mabel! Did you even listen to a single thing I said?" He gritted his teeth and folded up the notes back into his pocket. When he turned back to face her, Dipper noticed she was missing. He searched frantically only to find Mabel had already scaled the fence and was waving at him on the other side. 

"Yeah, yeah, you coming or what Dippy?"

Ugh. Of course she would keep calling him that.

Dipper clung on to the fence and made his way up. Once again when he reached the top, he hesitated. Even as an adult, the height still freaked him out. 

"Hurry up!" Mabel shouted at him and started walking to the store doors. "Since you're taking your sweet ass time; I'll be right back. I'm going to get something from the store!"

Panic hit him as he lost control of the situation, "Wait Mabel! What if it's still haunted? You'll be trapped!" 

She paused for a second and then grinned, "Well we're not teenagers anymore, so I should be fine right?"

Oh. Yeah. He forgot. 

He watched her go in, wondering what was in there she couldn't get later. Whatever. Dipper counted to three, mentally trying to psych himself to jump down. When he reached five, he let go and heard a loud rip. His stupid vest got caught on the fence, causing his whole body to shift and land face first on the ground. 

Owwwww. Great now his nose and his ribs hurt. As he spit out the dirt in his mouth, he heard his sister huff right next to him and pull at the fabric.

"Dipper! I spent forever working on that! Did you just rip it?" 

Jeeze. She could have at least asked if he was okay. 

"Yeah sorry. It's just a small tear." Then it hit him, "Wait why do you care? I'm only wearing this once!"

She pouted, "I still could have used it for something else."

"Like what?"

"Halloween?" She noticed his glare and rubbed at her neck, "Or maybe not."

Dipper got up and dusted himself off, "What were you doing in Dusk 2 Dawn anyways?"

At this question, she pulled out a few packets of Smile Dip and grinned.

Oh no. 

"I thought you said that stuff was evil?" He reached out to take it away from her and she danced out of his grip. 

"Pfffft that was when I was like twelve. I can handle it now. Pacifica and I are having some illegal fun tonight!" She wiggled her eyebrows and shook the packets in front of him. 

"Seriously? Okay, but you better not call me up to pick you up at some god forsaken hour to take you to the emergency room." The brunet crossed his arms, "You know I'm just going to say I told you so."

Mabel shoved him. "You're no fun. I'm a grown-up capable of making my own decisions. Now let's go try some weird magical shit!"

Dipper laughed and shoved her back. "Come on you dork. It's this way."

The twins made their way to the back of the convenience store, continuously smacking each other. As soon as they turned the corner they both stopped in their tracks. What awaited them, neither of them expected. A few feet away, like out of a page from those home magazines, was lush and beautiful garden. It amazed him because there was no way this place could have survived on its own, yet here it was. Dipper glanced over at Mabel. Her eyes were widened in childish wonder. 

Immediately she flailed her arms and rushed over to some strawberries. "Dipper! Look how yummy these look! Is it safe to try them?" She began plucking a few from their stems. 

Dipper motioned her to wait and pulled out his notes again. "Looks like that one will give you invisibility powers."

Mabel screamed in excitement, "Do you have any idea how much I've always wanted to be invisible!? This is like my dream super power!"

She was about to take a bite, but he cleared his throat to pause her again. "Don't just eat it without knowing how it works. Okay, so this says that you take one bite to turn invisible, then another to turn back. Sounds simple enough." As he said it he watched Mabel disappear before his eyes and reappear. She kept doing it over and over again until she appeared in front of him and dangled some in his face.

"Wanna try it?"

"Nah, I'll pass on that one. Does it feel anything different though?"

"Nope. It feels like how I usually do. I just can't see myself." She gazed longingly at the berries, "Can I keep some?"

"Sure. My plan was to pick the useful ones and save them in case I need them while researching. Just...You have to promise to be careful and not cause any trouble with them."

She waved off his fears. "Yeah ,yeah, bro-bro. I will. Quit stressing. Oooooh, what about these?" She reached out and grabbed a tomato. 

"Hmmm," his eyes scanned the page for the description and found it, "That one has the ability to stun anything who eats or gets hit by it for five minutes. So don't even think about it."

"Yeah let's not mess with that one," she agreed and let go to wander over to something else, "And the grapes?"

He shook his head.

"Deadly. Don't eat them"

"Huh."

Mabel squat down and pulled on a plant in the ground. A bunch of carrots came out. "Neato! I'll be so disappointed if this doesn't cause night vision."

"Actually, yeah it does."

She pumped her arm in victory and he laughed. That was surprising accurate for Mabel. She seemed to be really enjoying herself. 

"Is there one that can make me teleport or breathe fire!?"

He scanned the list. "No teleporting but actually, the red peppers-" he cut himself off in a startled shout as he watched his sister shoot fire into the sky. 

"Look Dipper! I'm a dragon!"

He ran over to her and slapped the peppers out of her hands. "Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself or burn the whole garden down!"

"Whoops," she scratched behind her head a bit embarrassed, "Sorry..."

"It's fine. I might have panicked a little. It's just, we don't know if some of these things can hurt us. At least wait until I explain before eating them." 

She nodded and seemed to deflate. He hadn't meant to ruin her fun. Dipper sighed and grabbed a raspberry. He remembered this fruit specifically because he wanted it the most. He popped one in his mouth and immediately his body tingled. It only took a second for his body to feel healthy and energized. Amazing. 

"Woah, what was that? You look better. Even the bags under your eyes disappeared!" Mabel reached for one and Dipper let her eat it.

"Thanks I guess? It removes toxins, heals, and provides energy." He explained and her mouth made a small 'o'. 

"What's next?"

He showed her his notes, "These are the ones I want specifically. Help me collect those and then we can go get lunch."

"Right!"

\-----------

It wasn't long before sunset when Dipper pulled into Pacifica's small home. As soon as she had turned eighteen, the blonde had pulled all the money she had in whatever trust fund or savings account she had left from the bankruptcy. She packed her stuff and moved out of her unbearable family's home. She used the money to buy herself a quaint little house. It was affordable enough that she could live comfortably for a few more years, but she knew she'd eventually have to either marry rich or get a job. Since her current crush was Mabel, it looked like she was going to have to do the latter. 

Mabel reached for the car door handle and turned to look at him, "Bye Dipper! I'll see you tomorrow morning before I go. I promise not to OD on Smile Dip...Hopefully." She cracked a laugh and then smiled. 

She was leaving tomorrow morning already? He mentally scolded himself. Of course she was. She had school on Monday. 

A small pang of loneliness hit him. "You sure you two don't want to have the sleep over at the Mystery Shack?"

Her grin faded for a moment, realizing what his words meant, "Awwww missing me already Bro-Bro?"

"No!"

She gave him a look and his shoulders deflated. "Okay you've got me."

She socked him in the shoulder and ruffled his hair, "Knew it! We're twins remember? Alpha telepathy!"

Dipper knitted his eyebrows and she sighed, "Anyways, you need to get back to writing with no distractions and I need some more girl time. I don't get to see Pacifica ever and I missed her."

Suddenly she became bashful and looked away. 

Huh. Maybe Pacifica did stand a chance with his sister. 

She said one last goodbye and slammed the car door shut. As Dipper drove away, his sister waved him off. Idly, he wondered if Pacifica would confess. 

He spent the rest of the ride back home wondering what a relationship between those two would be like. With the distraction, it didn't feel long before Dipper was back at the Mystery Shack. When he stepped inside, instantly it felt lonely and dreary. He headed upstairs and to his room to find another distraction. He figured it was about time to get busy and work. 

Not even caring about his stupid outfit, Dipper carelessly pulled the offensive clothing articles off and threw them back in the box. Good riddance. He found a comfy hoodie and shorts and immediately put them on.

With a sigh he started collecting his writing supplies before he stopped and did a double take. He gaped his mouth wordlessly, feeling a headache coming on. The star had not only moved but he had done plenty of things. For one thing, the plush had adjusted itself comfortably and was now resting on his pillow.

So obviously the demon had been using his temporary body, but that's not what shocked him most. On the back of his FAVORITE book, Bill had drawn two and a half stars with the words, 'Your taste in literature is severely lacking!' in permanent marker.

What the hell man!? 

He glared at the plush toy and picked it up. When it didn't immediately come alive, he shook it.

"Stop playing dumb Bill. I know you're watching me!" He shook it some more, "I need to talk to you!"

The toy remained silent and Dipper growled. How long was Bill going to keep up the silent treatment? How was he supposed to fix whatever this was, if the stupid triangle wouldn't even talk to him?

He gave up and flung the stupid plush on his bed. Seething, Dipper fell into the chair next to his desk and cursed. He needed to clam down and write. He'd figure out Bill later. Right now, he had enough writing material to fill a chapter or two, so now would be the best time to work on it. He slipped on his glasses and pulled out his laptop to begin typing. 

Dipper struggled to concentrate at first. Anger and frustration was still coursing through him to his dismay. Enough so that even though he wasn't writing, he snapped a pen in two. Dipper didn't even understand why this was getting to him. Wasn't it considered a good thing that Bill had decided to fuck off for everyone's sake? 

Well good for everyone, except him who didn't have enough material to finish his book. 

Whatever, Dipper concentrated on his work, pouring his feelings into it. 

...

Still, he couldn't help taking a glance every now and then at the toy lying on his bed. That foolish and gnawing hope of it moving never left him.

Dipper brought up the broken pen to his lips and began chewing on it. Stupid habit, he knew, but at least the ink tube was out of it so it wouldn't end up in his mouth. Besides, the grinding of his teeth relaxed him a little. 

...

Fuck

When he couldn't stand the unbearable silence anymore. He slammed his laptop screen closed and pushed his chair back. He didn't understand how to fix this and ignoring it wasn't going to help. He wasn't being unreasonable by taking Mabel with him instead of Bill right? Them again he also knew that he had broken a deal with the demon. Still, Dipper didn't understand why he took it so bad. It wasn't like it had been one of Bill's conditions for him to keep. It had been his. 

He tried to picture it from the triangle's point of view and then the thoughts he had while Mabel was giving him a makeover came back to him. The conclusion he had come to earlier came jolting back in mad ferocity. 

That's right. Was Bill worried that if he backed out of this small deal, he might back out of their original bigger deal? 

Shit. It might explain it.

Dipper formulated a plan. He dressed down to his boxers and pulled back the covers to ease into bed. Once he was comfy, he then carefully lifted up the star plush and frowned. 

"Look Bill, I'm sorry. Me taking Mabel to hunt paranormal things doesn't change anything. I just wanted to spend some time with her. I wasn't taking back my end of the deal. So if you're worried about that, then don't. I'm not going back on my end of the bargain if you aren't..."

He reached up and took the star's right edge in his hand and shook it. "It's a promise."

Suddenly the toy came to life and it gave him a pout. Oh! It worked! Dipper felt a smile tug on his lips and it made the demon glare. It didn't say anything, but it shook back. The demon's eye focused on the hand holding him and tried to squirm free. Even his legs wiggled in protest so Dipper put Bill down on his chest. 

Once freed, Bill huffed and jumped off his body and landed on the sheets next to him. He was still not talking but the emotions going through him was telling in itself.

The demon then suddenly reached for Dipper's pillow and yanked as hard as his small body could. Nothing really happened and Bill cursed softly under his breath. That didn't stop the star from continuing to tug helplessly at the linen.

Well this sure was amusing.

Curious, the brunet lifted his head a little. It was enough to let the demon pull the pillow out from under him and for Dipper to land back on sheets of forgotten papers. As uncomfortable as that was, he didn't care though. He was too obsessed with trying to figure out what Bill would do next. He watched as the star set the pillow down a little further away on the bed and give it a few pats. Then, Bill gave him one last dirty look before falling back on the pillow with a small sigh. 

What? That's it? That asshole. Does he even need it? He doubted the demon even slept. 

...Still it was pretty funny seeing Bill all pissy and Dipper let out a small snort. He got up and grabbed Mabel's old pillow from her bed before settling down back in his. Bill didn't say another word to him and he didn't dare say anything either. It looked like he was forgiven. Maybe. A little. Whatever this weird truce was, it was a whole lot better than Bill playing dead. So it wasn't surprising to him when he felt the urge to hear Bill's voice at least once tonight and decided to say goodnight to his new bed mate. 

"Goodnight Bill."

To his disappointment, nothing was said in response. At least he tried. He gave up and settled on just going to bed. Before he closed his eyes though, for a second Dipper swore he saw the star pulse a faint hint of gold in acknowledgment. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next morning, Dipper awoke to a loud banging on the front door. At first he panicked, but then remembered it had to be Mabel getting back from her sleepover. She needed to start packing for her trip back. Whoops. He probably should have given her the spare key. Luckily, he was a light sleeper. 

He got up and tried to make himself look somewhat decent. Mabel had seen him in worse conditions and all he was doing was opening the door anyways. He headed towards the stairs, but before he walked out of the room, he quickly glanced at the star toy. It was still lying in the same spot on his pillow but not moving. It was probably for the best with Mabel being back. 

Regardless, Dipper huffed. Today he was going to get Bill to talk. It didn't matter what it took. Last night had been the first step, but he knew there was probably more the demon wanted from him. For now though, he had to worry about sending Mabel off.

Dipper climbed down the stairs, hopping over the last step in excitement. When he reached the door, he opened it up to see his sister grinning back at him. In her hands were bags full of carry out containers from Greasy's. The smell of sweetness filled his nostrils and Dipper had to stop himself from full out drooling. He gave her a thumbs up and they raced towards the kitchen to eat. 

It was pancakes with whipped cream and bananas. Well, to be fair, for him it was. For Mabel it was actually whipped cream and sprinkles with a side of pancakes. How his sister could eat such sweet stuff without throwing up was beyond him. She chatted animatedly about all the crazy things her and Pacifica did that night. All of it led up to the part of them eating the Smile Dip. After that she couldn't remember a single thing. Mabel wondered out loud if it was possible to be hung over from bad candy and then swiftly swore off the stuff again. For now at least. 

They reminisced on a few more things until it was time for her to hit the road. She didn't want to drive and for it to get dark on the way. She was scared of selling asleep at the wheel.

He agreed and Dipper helped her load her things in Xyler the car. Thankfully, the Dippy Fresh box was along the stuff she was taking him. When everything was loaded and it came time to the actual goodbyes, Dipper felt his throat clench. God it was so hard realizing he was going to be separated from his twin again. He had no idea when he'd head home again and didn't know when she'd find time to come back.

They stood facing each other, Dipper fidgeting from each foot and Mabel smiling. Deja Vu hit him and he realized they did the exact same thing before he left to Gravity Falls. Mabel seemed to realize it too and she let out a small laugh before enveloping him in a tight hug. At first it was comforting but once Dipper felt his feet lift off the ground, he drew the line. She would not make him feel like the little twin and get away with it as long as he was around to stop it. He started pushing her away playfully.

"Knock it off Mabel," He whined and ruffled her hair in revenge. It clearly worked because she yelped and let go. 

"You'll be back to visit soon right?"

Mabel shoved him lightly, "Of course Dip-Dop. Stop worrying! You get back in there and start dancing those fingers all over those keys. We have a book to publish after all! I just need to make a few phone calls and then I'll start driving."

Dipper scratched the back of his head, "I know, I know. Jeeze maybe I should make you my agent?"

She rolled her eyes at that and Dipper continued, "Just be sure to call me when you're back home okay? Be safe..."

"You too Bro-Bro. Be safe out here while solving mysteries. If you need a partner, just give me a call. Now quit wasting time and get to work!" 

Before Dipper could say anything else to delay her, Mabel walked to her car and pulled out her phone to start dialing. She was probably calling mom first. Before she got in the car, she pointed finger pistols at him and winked. Dipper rolled his eyes and waved back awkwardly before turning to go inside. He closed the door behind him into the Mystery Shack and began heading back up to his room. He didn't lock it in case Mabel had to pee or forgot something before she left. It was almost always a guarantee that one of those would happen.

For now though, Dipper's biggest concern was Bill. This whole morning he had an itching feeling that wouldn't go away. He knew it had something to do with the demon, but he didn't know why. To his surprise, Bill was already waiting for him when he opened the door. The star plush was floating a few feet in front of him with an impatient look on his face. 

Dipper felt a mixture of emotions course through him. He went from excitement at seeing Bill to bitterness at the way the demon was looking at him. It was disorienting and he couldn't explain it. So instead, Dipper tried to hide his emotions and crossed his arms. If Bill still wanted a fight, then he'd oblige. In fact, he was going to start it. 

"Look Bill-"

Dipper was then rudely interrupted as Bill cleared his nonexistent throat. It took the brunet a moment to realize that Bill had probably waited to do this on purpose. Yup he had done it to mess with him. This grated Dipper to no end. He opened his mouth to make a remark, but Bill beat him to it once again. 

"Pinetree, for the guaranteed safety of your sister and the rest of the Pines, while we are at it, I have some demands. For one, I want better arms for this thing." He demonstrated this by moving the star's arms aggressively. "Then I want absolute guarantee that I go on every next paranormal hunt, no matter what. Aaaaaaaand," Bill put extra emphasis on the word and drew it out as long as possible, "I want your pillow."

Dipper took a moment to process what Bill was saying. "Wait. What? This is a deal? Why do you want my pill-" 

Once again the brunet didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. He trailed off too distracted by the look of utter shock that came across the demon. What was that look for? Hold on. Bill wasn't staring at him. His eye was fixated on something behind him.

Dipper turned his head slowly and oh god. Gaping back at the demon was no one other than Mabel. He hadn't heard her come back in, much less climb up the stairs. Terror seized in him. There's no way she wouldn't figure it out. 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Bill?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh cliffhanger again. So I thought I would clarify here in case it's confusing, but to me Dipper is Bisexual in this story. He doesn't realize it yet but he will. He'll realize lots of things as this story progresses Hahahaha!
> 
> This story has slowly grown from a small 10 chapter fic to a much longer 25 chapter one or more. That means be ready to buckle up and be prepared for a long ride with possibly a slow burn. I'll try not to make it that slow though lol. Anyways, I'll try to update this again within 2 weeks. No promises if it ends up this long again. Tell me what you think and once again thanks for all the comments and kudos!


	8. Shooting Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel thinks something fishy is going on between Bill and Dipper and she's going to get to the bottom of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how late this chapter is. Even then it's not 100% up to standard. I was putting so much into it, I had to cut it short or else it would have been ridiculously long. It would have taken another week for sure. I still managed to cut it in a way to make it work. Sorry for any error's. I'll fix them soon.

"Bill?"

Dipper sucked in a breath. A million explanations and excuses flew in his head, but none of them were nearly adequate enough to be used. Not especially with her looking at him with the most gut wrenching expression of utter betrayal. 

When did she…? 

No, why was she up here? 

Then Dipper really looked at her. Mabel was shaking and in her arms she was twisting afamiliar light blue lump of fabric. It was the sweater, Gideon's sweater. 

She had forgotten to give It to him when she had finished. 

Dipper was still trying to make a sound escape his open mouth, but it never came. Instead, the demon behind him started the talking for him.

"Long time no see Star."

A tense filled beat passed and then Mabel was shoving past him. He almost fell to the floor, but instead he caught himself and tried to reach out and stop her. He was so in shock that he couldn’t even tell her no before she was too close to Bill. He couldn’t even scream when Mabel tackled the star to the ground and started pulling punches. She was beating the crap out of Bill. In any other circumstance, it would have been funny as hell. In this case, he was horrified. 

"Ow my eye! Always with the eye!"

Bill is groaning in pain and Mabel is screaming obscenities at him like they were in one of thosepaternity test TV show fights. Dipper has never heard her say so many curse words in a row. He doesn’t understand why Bill hadn’t done something terrible back to his sister.

"You mother fucker! You should be dead! What are you doing to my brother you isosceles monster!" She screamed. Mabel then began tugging at one of his legs, trying to tear it off his body, "And this! This is for almost killing me!"

"Pinetree! Get her off me!" Bill whined. It was such a foreign sound to Dipper that it broke him out of whatever trance he was in.

Dipper rushed over and grabbed Mabel by the shoulder in order to drag her off. He thought it was going to be simple until she began thrashing her body. Dipper didn’t understand her reaction and turned her face to look at him. 

"Mabel! Look at me. It's okay. He's not going to hurt us," he said calmly. He hoped the tone of his voice would help her relax. Instead it had the opposite effect. His sister was breathing hard, her face red in anger. 

"What? Dipper? You're actually taking his side? Him of all people!" She spat out and glared at the demon trying to collect himself off the floor. Dipper could hear the gears ticking in her head, because she suddenly gasped and beganpushing him away. There could only be one train of thought that would make her do this and he wasn’t about to let her go. Dipper grasped Mabel by the arms and drew her in closer to him. 

"Let me go! What has he done to you? Has he possessed you? He has, hasn’t he?"

Dipper just gripped her tighter and pulled her into a hug. It was the only thing he could do to reassure her that it was him. He had to convince her somehow, because this close, all he could feel were her sobs wracking through her body. "Mabel calm down. It's me. He hasn't harmed me. I promise it's me."

She hiccupped and Dipper let her pull away slightly. Mabel rubbed her eyes to rid the tears and looked deeply into his own hazel ones until she was sure. A sigh of relief left Mabel’s lips and Dipper released her completely. 

When she had regained her composure, his sister finally spoke. "I don't get it. Why is he here Dipper? Did you summon him? Were you hiding Bill this whole time?”

Dipper could see the exasperated look on her face, but he didn't know which question to answer first or even where to begin.

"Hate to interrupt whatever this is, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like I'm not here." Bill sneered. Anger was rolling off his voice in waves. Who wouldn’t be upset after having the stuffing punched out of you? 

"Shut up Bill," they both replied in unison. It seemed like neither of them were worried enough to deal with the demon right now. Dipper would have found the demon’s pouthilarious if it weren't for the fact that Mabel was glaring at Dipper. She gave the demon a pointed look and then glanced towards the door.

"Uh Dipper? Can we talk about this in private?"

Dipper peeked up at Bill in a silent request. He hoped the star wouldn’t make a big fuss about it. It didn’t appear to be an issue because Bill simply shrugged it off with his stubby arms. "I'll be here."

With a nod, he let Mabel lead him downstairs and into the kitchen. She motioned him to sit and the brunet slumped into one of the chairs. He was so not looking forward to this. Dipper watched as his sister paced the room, until he couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. Dipper knew he was about to be interrogated, so he decided to start the conversation and lead it instead.

"Mabel, I know this looks bad, but it's not. I have this under control." He muttered softly. He had to try and keep his voice steady. 

She stopped pacing to snap her head at him. Her burning eyes had him sliding lower down his chair.

"Do you Dipper? Because when I was up there, it sure did look like he was calling all the shots," she snapped. 

Dipper winced.

Oh.

Shit.

"How much did you hear?"

Mabel crossed her arms and simmered in her spot, "Enough that apparently you’re sleeping with him, if he wants your pillow."

Oh god. This was the absolute worst.

Dipper felt his face turn beet red. He startedstuttering and spluttering out his words, "It's not like that at all. We, we aren't-"

If he was trying to make his case, he was failing miserably. His reaction only mad her even more frustrated. 

"Oh my god Dipper. Then why are you turning red? Is that why you kept him a secret?" Mabel began tugging at her hair. It was a sign that she was getting desperate. "Please don't tell me you actually like him now. Dipper, he's a demon! You hear that? Demon. He almost killed us for fun!" She put an emphasis on the word fun. It was almost like the word took everything out of her because her voice then became soft and weak, "What is going on here Dip and for how long have you been keeping it from me?"

Shame dug into Dipper's core. He couldn't even look her in the eye. Here was his sister trying to comprehend what was only the single most hurtful thing he could ever do. He hadn't meant to shut her out. He just didn't want to worry her. Swallowing the dry lump in his throat, he finally managed a broken reply. "No I don't and I could never forget what he's done. You don't understand Mabel. He's helping me out."

"Yeah you're right. I don't understand. I don't understand why you felt like you couldn’t tell me about this? I’m your Twin sister! You better fess up, because I'm not going anywhere until you do." Mabel sighed and plopped down in the chair across from him. This was taking its toll on both of them. He doesn’t think they’ve been this serious with each other in a long while.

Now it was his turn to stand and take the stage. She raised her brow at him when he walked away and Dipper jerked his head towards the appliance he was heading for. "Okay, I'll explain. It might take a while though, so let me make us some coffee."  
\--------

Mabel listened as her brother told his story from the start until finish. Every now and then he would hesitate, as if he were holding something back, but one stern look from her and he'd spill the beans. There were times her face would become so red in anger that she had to clench her fists to calm down. She had so many questions, but she never interrupted. It wasn't until the end that Mabel couldn't hold back anymore. 

"So he wants a body? Why does he need that?" It seemed like a simple enough one, but the way Dipper widened his eyes was enough to tell her he didn't know. What had her brother gotten himself into? 

"I don't know," Dipper's eyes dropped to the now empty mug, "but apparently he needs it bad. You should have seen his face Mabel. I think he's desperate to get out of whatever he's stuck in."

"Bro-bro. You really need to stop with the hero complex. He probably wanted you to think that."

The way her brother was staring at her made Mabel realize that he refused to believe that statement. As much as she trusted her brother’s judgment, Dipper could be a gullible idiot sometimes. He could never say no to helping anyone, even if it hurt him. It was what made Dipper, well Dipper. Mabel knew because she was guilty of taking advantage of this trait plenty of times. Therefore she was sure Bill must havefigured this out and is now really pulling at her brother's heartstrings. 

She gave Dipper a pleading look. "I don't trusthim Dip. He probably has some ulterior motive."

Dipper began rotating the mug in his hands nervously, "Maybe, but I'll figure it out if he does. Besides, how dangerous can he be as a weak human without any powers?"

She tsked. How could she really be the logical one right now? Usually this was her brother's department, "Yeah, but what if the human part is all a trick too?"

Dipper’s eyes widened. It was obvious he hadn’t thought of that. Still he seemed like he refused to believe this when he responded with, "He promised to tell me the truth, remember?"

Oh Dipper.

"There are different ways of getting around the truth Bro-bro. You know him. He finds a loopy doopy hole out of anything." She demonstrated this by rolling her index fingers around each other.

She watched as Dipper let out a growl of frustration and tugged at his hair. She could only assume he hadn't thought of this either. She was about to reach out to comfort him, when he let out a deep sigh. Dipper deflated and the arms fell back to his sides. "Yeah I know. I'll be careful. So far he seems to be telling the truth, but now I know to look harder into his words."

She caught the bitter tone to it and she shook her head. He had it bad.

"That's not good enough and you know it. You know better than to make a deal with him. Why didn't you at least come to me first?" Again she could feel her nails digging into her palms. "Do you know how much that hurts? We're twins. We tell each other everything."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect you. I knew you'd come running over here the moment I told you."

"Yeah, well it’s better that I came now when you're still okay, rather than arrive later and find out that your his puppet or worse. You need to think of these things Dip! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I came here to find you-"

She choked on her words, unable to fathom the thought, "I don't need protecting and you're absolutely right. Now that I know this, I don't want to go home. I can't just can't take off and leave you here with him! What if he hurts you?"

At this, a sharp clearing of the throat interrupted them. When they both turned to see, Bill entered the room with a calculated expression. He was planning something. Mabel just knew it. 

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting about me. I'm flattered really, but Pinetree and I have some unfinished business." He directed this comment at her and she responded by glaring at him. 

This caused Bill to be wary for a brief second before returning to his chipper self. 

It was that brief show of weakness that made Mabel get up and face Bill. She walked right over to him confidently and began poking his soft star body. 

"I don't know what you're up to Cipher, but if you hurt a single hair on my brothers hair I will end you."

It didn't have the intended effect on him that she thought it would. Instead he seemed mildly annoyed and backed up. 

"Yeesh, Star relax. Look at him." He gestured towards Dipper like a prize in a game show, "Does it look like he's been manhandled?"

Her brother scoffed at that and Mabel pursed her lips. She refused to give him that one. He could end up hurting Dipper later. 

As if Bill could read her mind from her expression he added on, "Well, not yet anyways, but it can be arranged so that I won’t, if you know what I mean." He raised his brow suggestively, "You up for a deal?"

Blue flames engulfed his body and Mabel wondered which one of them now was really the shooting star. Instead of voicing this, she crossed her arms.

"Never. I'm not falling for your stupid tricks, you one-eyed chew toy."

Bill faked a sigh. "Oh come on now Star. What's one tiny favor compared to making sure your brother over there is safe? You don't know what could happen to him up here."

Was that a threat? The way he phrased that, it sure did sound like it. Bill wanted something from her and she was going to make sure he didn't get it. 

"Don't do it Mabel. I'll be fine. I'm too important to his plans," her brother's voice next to her brought Mabel back to reality. 

She hadn't noticed when Dipper had gotten up. Now he was making his way to stand in between the two. His posture had stiffened and Mabel could tell he was gritting his teeth again. 

At this, the star lifted his pointed head back and laughed mockingly. 

"I wouldn't push your luck Pinetree. There's nothing in our clause that says I can't kill you after all this is done."

Mabel watched the blood leave Dipper's face. She wouldn't be surprised if her face was doing the exact same thing. After all, Mabel could feel herself trembling. She had tried to believe Dipper's reassurances, but that was all out the window now. Especially after hearing her worst nightmare come from that demon's body.

She had no choice now. 

"Fine then. I'll make a deal."

She didn't have time to say anything else, before Dipper was in front of her, grasping her shoulders tight. "Mabel don't! You can't get involved in this!"

She shrugged off his hands and moved him gently aside. "I’m a big girl Dipper. I can take care of myself. You were asking for my safety earlier, it's only right I ask for yours too. In fact, I'm the eldest. It's my job to protect you, dummy."

"Ah the sweet deep bonds of siblings. Brings a tear to my eye." Bill interrupted. He didn't sound genuine. Instead, it came off as being impatient. 

"Can it Cipher" Mabel barked at him. 

He only grinned at this and waited for her final answer. 

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and tugged at her hair. "I want Dipper to be safe from you, but I don't trust your definition of safe either. I want to be able to check up on him and see that's he's alright for myself."

The star looked thoughtful at this.

"That can be arranged. What do you have to offer?"

Well gum balls. That was odd. She thought Bill was going to demand something specific, not let her offer. She wasn't going to complain though. 

Hmmm...

"You said you wanted arms. I can give make those for you and whatever weird body changes you want."

The toy shook his body. "Not good enough Star. While I would much prefer you to make my arms over your brother, I don't think that's quite worth ole Pinetree's safety over there. Besides, that's already a part of a pending deal I have with him."

"Mabel!" Dipper warned, but she only shushed him.

"Fine! Then I'll take his deal. You make sure none of our family is hurt in this, including my brother and myself, and I get to check on Dipper every now and then. In exchange you get your stupid arms, exclusive mystery fun times with Dipper and his sweaty gross pillow."

"What!" Her brother shouted in outrage, "Mabel! Offer him your pillow!"

"Nope, I want yours Pinetree," Bill replied gleefully and Dipper threw his arms in the air in exasperation, "But he does have point Shooting Star. Way to throw your brother under the bus and not really offer anything."

Ouch. It was true, but it pained her to realize that she was doing just that. 

They stared at each other for a hard minute. Mabel tried to think, but what else did she have to offer? She doubted the demon needed a sweater or anything artsy. 

"What exactly would you want?" She askedcarefully. It was the last thing Mabel wanted to say, but then again she was forced into a corner. 

"Glad you finally asked! Hmmm...Well it sounds to me like you want me to teleport you here once a week to visit. Does that sound about right?"

Mabel nodded. 

"And that sure does take up a lot of magic. Now dream demons like my handsome self don't just get energy out of thin air. I have to consume it. I'm sure you can guess where we get that power from?" Bill floated closer to her with a glow and patted her purple head. Obviously the star toy liked where this was going and Mabel knew exactly what he meant.

"Dreams...you want my dreams?"

"Now there's a smart cookie. Don't worry though. I only want a few." Bill began counting in the air with one of his star arms. "Let's say twice a week? A girl with your kind of imagination and chaotic nature really fits my type of Bill. Two should be plenty."

He laughed at his own pun but both she andDipper cringed inwardly at it. Mabel dared a glance at her brother’s eyes and it was hard to miss the pleading look he was giving her. She could tell that he really didn't want her to do this and that he was having a hard time holding back his opinion.

She couldn't let it get to her though and instead focused her attention back to the matter at hand.

"Only two?"

"Only two," Bill assured. "You won't even miss them. Aren't I generous? I'll just reach out to you in your dreams and drag you across the mindscape. You'll wake up here none the wiser. Then when you go to bed that night it'll be the same process, but you'll be back in your sheets in little ole Piedmont."

Mabel was about to respond when Dipper jumped in. 

"Bill! Please don't do this. Let me make the deal. You can have my dreams. Don't involve my sister!"  
Mabel stared in shock at her brother.

Wait. 

Had this been Dipper's plan all along? Try to steal her deal at the moment of truth? Well technically he was trying to take back his original stupid deal. This was getting ridiculous. 

"Oh Pinetree, you don’t have to worry about a single thing.” He floated over to Dipper and Mabel watched as he pinched her brother’s cheek, “Taking her dreams won't hurt one bit.Besides, you can't hog me all to yourself. No offense, but I’d rather have a pro finish stitching me up."

Mabel blanched. Was Bill flirting with her brother? Ewwwww. She did not want to know what their weird relationship was turning into.

The demon turned back to her.

"Now do we have a deal?" Bill stretched out his right star arm towards her. 

She stared at it and shuddered. Despite how amazing traveling here every week sounded, she couldn't help but still feel scared. 

Dipper surprised her by shouting out to Billagain, “You promise me there are no tricks involved?”   
The plush toy laughed.

“I see what you're doing there kid. It's not going to work on me. I only owe you the truth. Not Star. She's just going to have to trust me.” He turned back to her, "Can you?"

Mabel was torn between Dipper and Bill. She hated doing this to her brother, but she knew she had to. How could she turn down this easy way of seeing her brother more? She closed her eyes and breathed out. 

Okay. 

Mabel took a step forward and took Bill's hand. She immediately flinched when she becameengulfed in blue flames. 

Next to her, she could her Dipper shouting but it was over before they both knew it.

“Nice doing business with you shooting star.Your dreams are going to be fun.” He looked like he would be grinning at her if he had a mouth. She wanted to punch the stupid toy again, but she hesitated. She watched as he glanced over at Dipper and noticed a weird emotion darted across the demon’s face. Dipper was too busy staring at his shoes to notice.

That's it! She was done ignoring whatever this was between the two of them. She was getting to the bottom of it _now_.

“Dipper are my sewing supplies in the attic?”

Her brother snapped his head up to glance at her, “Yeah why?” 

“I need to talk to him. Alone.”

An expression of fear flashed across his face. 

“Mabel you can't!”

She huffed. Now Dipper was being irrational.

“He can't hurt us anymore remember? I'll be just peachy. I'm just going to make his stupid arms so I can go home already. It's getting late.”

Dipper seemed to hesitate. It looked like he wanted to tell her more, but at the same time he knew she would probably blow it off. Eventually dropped his gaze and clenched his hands instead. 

“But no deals with him. Okay?”

“Again Pinetree,” Bill butt in and was annoyed, “I'm right here.”   
Wow. Attention seeker much? It was almost like the demon didn’t like being ignored.

Dipper seemed to know this.

“Bill you can't make any deals? Got it?”

“Yeesh, alright kid. Don't have a heart attack.You’re not-”  
At this Dipper cut him off by covering his ears and making nonsense noises, “I don’t want to know how old I’m going to die Bill. Stop it!”

Bill chuckled and shoved Dipper playfully. Her brother only scowled in return, but she 

Mabel frowned. Yeah these two were a lot chummier than they were telling her.

Without warning, Mable plucked Bill out of the air and carried him to the attic. He made a strong effort to try and escape her clutches, but she ignored his protests. It wasn’t until she slammed the door shut behind her that Mable let him go. He was angry but at this point she was ignoring him. After all, he couldn’t hurt her now. In her mind everything that just happened was taking too much space and whirling in her brain. She didn’t know where to begin with this guy. Out of the corner or her eye, she saw Bill just staring at her. His tantrum was obviously over and now it seemed like he didn’t know how to comprehend her either.

Finding what she needed on floor in the corner, she knocked some of Dipper’s books off the desk and set the sewing machine on it. She grabbed some of the felt that looked like it had been left over and sat down on the chair. Mabel turned to Bill and patted a spot on the desk.

“Come here.”

Bill obliged and floated over, humming thoughtfully. He didn’t expect it again when she grabbed him and positioned him on the desk. 

“Woah woah woah Star!” Bill tried to shove her fingers away but failed miserably.

She puffed her cheeks. What did the demon have against touching?

“Oh calm down. I just need you to stand still so I can measure you.” 

“You could've asked.” The star gave her an irritated glare and shifted around. If he was doing it on purpose or what, she didn’t know.

Odd. Now that she thought about it, she realized Bill hardly ever used his legs for standing. The little guy usually floated around.

Mabel huffed and reached out to steady him again. When he stepped back, she growled and forcefully put him back in place.

"Woah woah woah hey!" The star complained, "Yeesh, no need to be touchy. It’s a reflex of mine. Besides, don't act like you don't want to sock me again. You can't blame me for trying to avoid having the stuffing knocked out of me. "

Mabel rolled her eyes. He was being so melodramatic, but she couldn't deny that she really did want to punch him again. “You're right, so don't push it Bill. These guns right here are aching for a bruising." Mabel flexed as an example.

"Yeah guns. Real cute Star." The demon tried to parenthesis quote the word "guns" but failed.

"Hey. No sassing me either! This is my stuffed toy, not Dipper's. I could easily demand it back. I don't even know what Dipper was thinking! I liked this one.”

"Hey, I let him pick. It's not my fault that your genius of a brother went with this of all things."

Mabel sighed. There was no time in questioning these things anymore. She'd never understand her brother's logic as to why he did this. Instead she decided to get to the point.

"So uh, what do you want exactly? Do you want me to make you look more like a triangle and give you arms?"

The reaction she got from Bill was extremely weird to say the least. At first his eye had widened and he looked excited at the prospect of looking like himself. Then just before he seemed to agree to the change, he stopped himself. The star became lost in deep thought. She wasn't sure if Bill was aware of it, but an image of her brother sewing his body flashed across his eye. He could still do that in this form? Eventually he finally replied, "Nah, just the arms."

Well that was unexpected. She decided to probe a bit.

"Why not? Tired of your triangle look?"

Bill stayed silent, refusing to answer. Ohoho this was getting interesting. Mabel took it one step forward. 

"Is it because my genius brother made it?

Bill gave her a sideways glance. Annoyance seemed to roll off him. "You know Star. We can spend all day dancing around the subject, so why don't you ask me what you really brought me up here for?"

Huh. Was that a certain demon being defensive? It sure did sound like it. 

"Fine. I want to know why you wanted me to make the deal instead of Dipper. You seemed awfully pushy. Almost like you needed this deal to go through. I don't know what you're planning, but I feel like you need both of us here for some reason." 

As Mabel was talking, she began measuring the demon and outlining the arms over the felt. Even as she worked on this, she would glance up to gauge his reaction. Frustrating enough, the demon remained as impassive as earlier.

"Always the perceptive one, aren't you?"

Mabel grinned, “You got that right buster! You can’t hide anything from good ole Mabel.” She stopped her train of thought to point at two spots on his body, “Is this where you want them?”

Bill nodded, but avoided eye contact with her. Instead he focused on watching her begin to cut out the arms out of felt. 

Nope. Him avoiding the first question was not acceptable. 

"Well? I'm waiting for your answer." 

He blinked at her and rolled his eye, “Oh star. You think I would tell you just like that? I have my-“  
Tired of his shit, Mabel had stabbed him with a needle. Well okay it was more than just stabbing him. She needed to do it so that she can sew on the arm. It still made her feel better.

“OW! What the hell? At least warn me first!”

Mabel laughed as he spit out a few more curses. “S-sorry,” she gasped between fits of giggles, “Wait. No I'm not sorry. I shouldn’t be apologizing to you of all things.”

Bill’s eye narrowed but he didn’t say much else. Interrogating the star made Mabel want to pull her hair out. She decided to try a new angle. 

“Why my brother then? Oh and brace yourself, I’m going to be sticking you a few times to sew these noodle arms on.”   
The other grunted in acknowledgment and moved a little closer. It was odd seeing a demon wince in pain over a little needle. Dipper must have made the body before letting Bill take over it. Why wasn’t the demon leaving the body now then?  
“Why not your brother?” Bill interrupted her thoughts.  
She took a moment to think of her response.  
"Well…you let me take his latest deal. Why can't I take the rest of it?" As she said it, Mabel bit her lip. She hoped Bill wouldn’t notice the slight insecurity that came from her voice. Dipper was always sacrificing things for her. Why did it always have to be him giving up something or being in danger? She could handle it. Why didn’t anyone see that?

"I know what you're trying to do here Star, but it won't work. It has to be him. No one else can do it. You’ll help, but not in the way he can."

Oh no. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She tried to look up and stop them from coming but she failed. Mabel couldn’t help it though. The words hurt. Once again she couldn’t be the one to protect him. It wasn’t fair for Dipper to have the fate of this town on his shoulders all the time.

Bill looks up at her strangely and floats up with his new arms to wipe a tear. “You humans and your feeble minds.” He reached out to ruffledher hair and Mabel jolted back. 

“I'm not weak! You’re just underestimating me! I swear, if you hurt my brother, I will tear that eye out with my own bear hands Bill. I'm not kidding.” The purple haired girl wiped away her tears furiously and scowled at him.

The demon laughed. “There's the spark of chaos I remember seeing in your dreams when I made your bubble.” Bill continued to move his arms around, seemingly pleased. “Much better. Actually, way better work than your brother, don't tell him I said that though.” He made a terrible attempt at winking with one eye that came off as a blink. “Thanks Star.” 

“Mabel was unable to respond to that. No. She didn’t know how to respond to that. The way Bill talked about Dipper was just off. She couldn't place it and the only explanation had to be completely wrong. Instead of lingering on it, she pursed her lips and stood up. 

“You're insane Bill. I did my part, now you do yours. I expect to be here every Saturday to make sure you're not up to anything funny.”

“Of course I am and I'm always up to somethingShooting Star. It’s just the requirements of being a demon.” Bill shrugged, “The sooner you accept that and the fact that your brother owes me, the better we'll get along.” 

Mabel scoffed, “Get along? You almost killed me!” 

Again Bill shrugged, “Nothing personal kid. You and your family were on my last nerve, and it didn't help that _you_ specifically kept taking out my eye. Multiple times. I'm past that though, so I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. What do you say?” Bill held out his hand, in what she assumed was a gesture of his strange idea of friendship.

Mabel frowned at his hand and refused to touch it. That was a poor excuse of calling a truce if she ever heard one. “Why does it even matter if I’m your friend? I thought all you needed was Dipper.”

“That may be true, but as I said, you’re just about as involved as your brother is at this point. I have lots of reasons.”

Mabel crossed her arms, “And what exactly are those?”

“Yeesh, you sure are stubborn. You’re almost as persistent as Pinetree. I'll give you that much.” Bill looked pensive for a moment, “Let's just say that us getting along will be beneficial to all of us in the long run." Bill paused deep in thought again. Briefly an exclamation point appeared in his eye, before smacking his hands together. This caused something small and round tomaterialized into thin air. 

“Here consider this a peace offering.”

Mabel took a closer look. It was a pink bracelet made out of weird cat faces. It floated over to her and made meowing noises. The bracelet would have almost been super adorable, if the cat's eyes didn't have a weird faint yellow glow to them. Their eyes were slitted like Bill's.

She eyed it warily, “What's is it?”

Bill reached out to pat the bracelet and the cats began purring, “Even though we made a deal, you're still worried about your brother right?”

She nodded, ignoring how cute that was, and motioned for him to continue. 

“Let’s just say that if you're brother ever wants you here, or if he calls for you in his mind, this nifty little creation of mine will start hissing like an alarm. All you have to do is push the buttonon the side,” His thin fingers indicated where the button was, “and you'll be brought here. Of course, there is one little thing. In order to take this thing home, you need to accept it as a deal.” 

“A deal? Why?”

This made the star slightly uncomfortable.  
”..That's how demon's work. Everything has to be a deal.”  
That sounded like utter crap to her, but what did she know about demons.

“And what do you get in return?”  
Bill stared, “Isn't it obvious?” 

Mabel stared back for a second before it hit her. 

Oh

“The bracelet for my cooperation and trust?”

Bill shrugged, “If that's what you want to call it”

She glanced back at cat band, unsure of what to do. She wasn’t giving up much and it really could come in handy, but…

“Dipper said not to make any deals with you.”

“It may be a deal, but think of it more as accepting a gift.” 

Ugh

This guy sure has a way with words. She could swear that Bill was a car salesman in his past life or a scammer like her Gruncle. 

“Fine. But don't tell him it was a deal.”

They shook hands and the bracelet floated over to her arm and snapped closed around her wrist. It felt soft and furry. The kittens began purring and meowing contently at their new owner.

“Now that that's settled, Pinetree has some catching up to do. He owes me a body after all and you need to be on your way. Wouldn't want to fall asleep on the wheel would you?”

Mabel shuddered. She hoped it wasn't a threat or Bill seeing into the future and more of a strange nice gesture. She doubted the latter. The demon could see into the future after all. 

“Fine!”

Mabel made her way back through the door and rammed the door closed behind her.

This morning had been so normal. What the hell happened?

\----------------------------

Dipper had spent a majority of his time pacing at the foot of the stair. He was nervous and of course he was worried.

When he heard the door slam shut, his head snapped up. Mabel was climbing down the stairs with Bill trailing behind her. Immediatelyhe started bragging about his arms. “Look Pinetree! I can grab things again!”

The demon decided to demonstrate this by landing on his hair and yanking a few strands.

Dipper swatted him away, “Ow, Bill knock it off.”   
He nervously inspected his sister for any harm. Her eyes maybe looked a little watery, he couldn’t tell for sure. Other than that, the only noticeable difference was something new on her wrist. That was definitely new.  
“Mabel what's that on your wrist?”

Her cheeks flushed a bit and she glanced at it nervously, “Oh this? It's um nothing. It's so Bill can teleport me. It's the uh cutest he could make it look.”  
If that was true, then why was she stuttering?

“Oh...okay?” He disbelievingly glanced over at Bill and the demon gave him a nod. Well, if Bill and Mabel were saying it wasn’t anything to be worried about, then he’d let it go. He trusted his sister’s judgment. 

Suddenly Bill cleared his throat and made his arms looks like hands on a clock. "Tick-tok, Shooting Star. You're pushing it now.

Dipper watched as Mabel visibly paled. Like a switch, his sister began nervously glancing at the front door. What was this about?

“Hey bro-bro, sorry to cut this short, but I really have to go. Any later and it won't be _safe_." She shuddered. "Anyways, don't worry. Now that I’ll be here every Saturday, we don’t have to make this departure as sad and long.” 

Mabel gave a pretty nervous sounding laugh as she reached out to hug him again. As she leaned in his sister whispered to him, “If Bill hurts you or does anything funny, just think of me. I’ll be here okay?”

Dipper choked up at the thought of Bill trying to hurt him and Mabel coming to save him. He didn’t understand this feeling and didn't know how to respond. He decided to only nod in response.

“Good. Okay, so I left Gideon's sweater on your bed. Don't forget to deliver it.” She scolded like a mom leaving her kid alone at him. 

"Right."

Then he saw her pulled the car keys from her pockets and headed to the door. “ See you real soon bro-bro. Bye!”

"Bye Mabel! Let me know when you’re home!” he shouted after her. Dipper watched as she gave him a quick wave and then turned to flick the demon off by giving him the finger. Not a split second later and the door was closing shut behind her. The demon bursted out laughing at her bravery. 

Then just like that, Dipper realized he was alone with Bill again. The star seemed to relish this moment alone as well, based on the way the demon was staring at him. Is this what it felt like moment before being eaten by your prey? 

"So Pinetree. How about we work on that body of mine?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again. Thanks for all the lovely comments and the great response to this fic. You all are the best. Since I had to cut the chapter, the next one should be up really soon. I hate to keep you all waiting. See you soon and I'll get to your previous comments soon. Thanks!


	9. Burning Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper has a lot of unanswered questions, but will his curiosity get the best of him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic now has over 100 notes and 1,000 hits. You all are the best! As a reward, here is a chapter full of Bill and Dipper. Enjoy~

Chapter 9  
\--------  
"So Pinetree. How about we work on that body of mine?"

Dipper glanced at the demon next to him and grimaced at the sight. Bill was making a triangle with his fingers and looking through it at the brunet. He then wiggled them all in front of Dipper with an obnoxiously amount of pleasure. 

"Ah it's good to have these bad boys back! Imagine what I could do with ten of them?" Bill chuckled to himself and then beamed at Dipper, "You ready?"

The look was disarming for someone without a mouth and it bothered the male twin. Bill was acting as if they hadn't been arguing not even a few hours ago. They hadn't even talked this out and Dipper still had so many unanswered questions! It's not that he wasn't grateful or anything that their tiff appeared to be over, it's just that Dipper always had to overthink everything. 

"Hey...Bill?" Dipper started softly, scratching the back of his arm awkwardly.

The star took in his appearance and blinked, "Oh, if you're asking about your sister, she's going to be fine. I made sure of that. I didn't do anything bad up there either," he pointed to the attic and gave him a reassuring nod. 

Well, it hadn't been what he was asking, but it was good to hear regardless. He knew he’d be worried about Mabel until he got her text saying that she arrived in one piece.

"Actually that's wasn't it, but um thanks. I was really wondering er..." Dipper stuttered, unable to say the words without nerves. 

"Hm?" The demon's interest perked at that and he encouraged the male twin to continue with a tilt of his body. 

"Bill um are we...okay?” 

"Okay?" Bill repeated and raised a brow at him.

The brunet grabbed the hem of his shirt and balled it in his fist. He could feel the anxiety bubbling in his stomach. "I mean, I don't owe you or anything right? You're not going to treat me differently since Mabel took the deal instead of me, are you?" By the time he had reached the end of the sentence, his voice had faltered into a whisper. He didn't know why this bothered him so much. Dipper had thought Bill and he were starting to get along a little and this whole incident left him worried that the demon would think of him in a bad light. 

Dipper expected Bill to laugh at him or sneer, but instead the plush toy looked pensive. "You flesh bags, always making things more complicated than they need to be. I got what I wanted and so did you and your sister. I'm a fairly easy demon to please Pinetree. You just seem to have a knack of going out of your way to piss me off."

Dipper flinched at that, but It was true. They did seem to get on each other's nerves a lot and it was frustrating. He couldn't find the strength to look the other in the eye and instead chose to stare at his shoes. He almost wanted to apologize again, but that was stupid. There was no reason to.

Bill moved closer to him and he felt the other place a small hand on his chin. The sensation was weird, but Dipper didn't resist when his face was slowly lifted back up. He dared to take a peek at Bill to find the demon studying him. At their proximity, Dipper's ears began to heat up and suddenly he couldn't move. It was almost like being paralyzed.

“As I said, how about we start working on my body and call it even hm?" Bill patted his cheek twice and pulled away. His eye returned to his usual glint of amusement.

It wasn't until the star had moved away the Dipper felt like he could think clearly again. "What? This early? Shouldn't we do that tonight while I'm sleeping?"

The star let out an annoyed sigh, "And why not? It's not like you have any plans. I would have seen them."

Dipper stood his ground, "It doesn't matter. I'm not going to sleep all day! I have a lot of writing to do. Can't we do it at night?"

“See Pinetree, this is what I meant about you going out of your way,” Bill’s eye narrowed slightly as he said this. The two stared each other down for moment before the demon gave in with a sigh, "But alright, alright we'll do it tonight. I just happen to be in a good mood right now.” 

Good mood? Well he wasn't going to question it.

“Whatever, I’m going to my room.” Dipper was about to head his way upstairs, when his stomach let out a loud growl. His intestines had made so much noise that even Bill's eye widened in shock.

“What was _that_?” 

Dipper gave the demon a curious glance, “My...stomach?” He didn’t mean for it to come out like a question but it did. This only made the star flail a little more. 

“Your squishy insides can make noises like that? Wait. Does that mean your guts are about to explode? Don’t tell me you’re _dying_ on me already kid?" 

Was Bill panicking or excited about the thought of him dying? Dipper couldn't tell, but he choked on his own spit from how absurd this was. His eyes began watering from coughing and laughing at the same time. Okay now Bill was panicking and the fits became even worse. It was just too funny to see the demon’s worried reaction.

“Pinetree? Don’t you dare die on me! You’re still supposed to have fifty-”

“S-stop-Bill," Dipper coughed a bit more, "I don't want to know. I-I'm fine!" At this point he was holding his stomach and trying to take deep breaths. Once he felt his lungs clear, he chuckled a bit more. "How did you take over Great Uncle Ford's and my body for so long and not know what hunger sounds like?"

"Hunger? That's what that noise was?"

"Yeah it's our version of needing energy. We eat to-“

Dipper was interrupted.

"I know what eating is, you idiot," Bill snapped and crossed his arms, "So, your flesh bag lets you know when to consume energy by screaming in agony?"

Well that was one way of calling it.

“Yeah. You get this sharp pang right here too," he demonstrated by pointing at his gut.

"So that's what that was!” Bill shouted, his voice laced with excitement as some sort of realization dawned on the other. For a demon who despises humans a lot, he sure acted interested in them. Wait. 

"You've been hungry before?"

The demon shrugged, "Back when I was in your body, yes. I just thought it was your weak body’s inability to stomach my amazing presence in it."

Dipper frowned and chose to ignore the last part, "So you let me starve?"

Bill blinked then became sly as he leaned in, “I wouldn’t throw bricks in a house of glass if I were you Pinetree. If I remember correctly, Shooting Star mentioned something about depriving yourself of sleep for a day? You surely can’t blame me for not feeding you if you can’t take care of yourself. Besides, I had human soda. That counts for something right?”

Dipper's face heated up in embarrassment. That’s right. He forgot that he had pulled an all-nighter trying to figure out the code to the laptop. It felt like ages ago and yet Bill still remembered that day clearly. 

"Which you drank wrong by the way. My eyes stung for hours when I was back in my body.” As odd as it was, remembering that moment made him crave pitt soda. Once Dipper was sure that the demon wasn’t going to freak out on him anymore, he made his way into the kitchen. Bill trailed behind him with a hum.

“Well that’s just your perception kid.”

The brunet walked over to the fridge and paused with his hand on the handle at the other's words. “What is that supposed to mean?”

"Do I need to remind you that you've seen me drink in the mindscape?"

Dipper shuddered and thought back to that first night Bill came to him. It all made sense now. He was surprised he hasn't made the connection before that the eye also served as his mouth. It had been instinct for the other to pour it into his eyes back then. It was still gross though. 

The brunet pulled open the fridge door and grabbed a can. It fizzled with a satisfying pop as he opened it and he took a chug. His eyes scanned the contents inside the fridge once more for a snack or something easy to make. Dipper knew nothing he made would compare to Mabel’s cooking and already he missed it. He really should learn to cook better for himself. Speaking of…

“Hey Bill. Wanna learn how to cook?” Dipper reached for the carton of eggs and turned to face the star toy, “I did say I was going to teach you how to be huma-.”

Dipper didn’t finish his sentence as his eyes discovered what the demon had been up to while he wasn’t paying attention. Bill was on the kitchen table and had this 'I’ve just been busted’ look on his face as his arms remained in air. In one hand was an opened salt shaker and in the other was an opened sugar dispenser. Apparently the other had been pouring the smaller into the bigger container.

The brunet almost screamed in horror as he imagined making coffee the next morning and having it taste like salt. “Bill! You don’t mix salt with sugar!" 

Bill should’ve looked guilty, but he was far from it. Instead his companion was chuckling, “Whoops?”

“Don’t whoops me! You did that on purpose! Why?”

Bill continued to hold the containers and shrugged, “The same reason why I mismatched all your socks in your drawer, tied all your shoes together by the laces, and hid some of your clothes the other night."

Dipper glanced down at his socks. Sure enough one had a blue stripe at the top and the other had a red one. He couldn’t believe it. Dipper almost dropped the eggs in his frustration.Carefully, he placed them down on the counter before he did anything stupid. 

That’s when Bill decided to pour the salt into the sugar anyways.

“Bill! What the fuck?” The brunet lunged for the star shaped toy and it slipped out of his grasp. He was trying to get the demon to put them down but instead the other saw it as a challenge. 

“Catch me if you can Pinetree! Let’s see your adorable noodle legs try and stop me!"

Bill disappeared through the doorway and Dipper yelled after him. The star was fast, Dipper gave him that. The demon was laughing hysterically as sugar and salt landed everywhere. This went on fro a good ten minutes as things crashed to the floor in every room they went into.

When Bill got tired of the chase, he floated high above the male twin and pressed against the roof. Dipper want panting and trying he damnedest to not just scream in anger. 

“Bill, get down here right now!"

The toy ceremoniously dumped both containers and it landed straight into his hair and Dipper yelped. 

“Son of a- That’s it!”

Dipper marched away, tussling his locks and trying his hardest to get all that crap out of his hair. It wasn't very effective. He reached for the broom in a closet and came back into the living room where Bill was. The other’s eye widened but Dipper didn’t give him a chance to react as he swung the broom at the star. It whacked against the demon and launched him towards the floor. 

After the initial grunt of pain, Bill was bursting from a fit of laughter and glowing brightly. Dipper took it as an opportunity to grasp a handful of the messy spill on the ground and pounce on the demon still laying on the ground. He trapped Bill with the weight of his body and held the fist with the granules right above Bill’’s eyes threateningly.

This didn’t seem to intimidate the star one bit. Instead he only chuckled harder. Utter amusement was reflected in his eye. "Yeesh Pinetree, don't you know how to have fun anymore? Relax!"

What? This was Bill trying to have fun with him? 

Dipper’s face flushed with heat and he dropped his arm. He had no idea what to think of that. Despite the annoyance, it had been slightly fun to let out his emotions and not hold back. Dipper always knew he had a problem of keeping everything in instead of enjoying the moment. As he got older, this condition only got worse. t was no surprise that Dipper would eventually develop a prognoses of anxiety because of this.

How was Bill able to get him out of his shell easily when Mabel was the only other person capable of this? If Mabel had been here right now, she would have been surprised but laughing at the sight of the two of them. Speaking of the sight, Dipper became fully aware that he was pinning his previous enemy to the floor in what would be a terribly compromising position if it weren't for the fact that it wasn't a human under him.

As if scalded, the brunet fell back on to his butt. Embarrassment must have been clearly written all over his face, because Bill was now smirking with his eye.

Oh god.

"Lighten up kid. You need to laugh more."

Dipper mustered up a scowl for the other, “Yeah, well that wasn't funny."

"Oh come on now," Bill was getting up and dusting himself off and adjusting his bow tie, "As if smacking me into the ground didn't give you any sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. You should have seen your face!"

"What?"

"You were grinning the whole time you chased me and hit me with that broom," the star replied with lilt, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say its almost like you haven't let yourself go in a while."

"Let myself go?" Dipper asked but he knew damn well what Bill was implying. Apparently the demon could see this part of him all too clearly.

"Give into all your emotions. You've been keeping them pent up. It’s not good for you and it’ll be distracting if you’re to go up against the oddities of Gravity Falls again. You need to be little more like your kid self again," The demon stated matter of factly. He floated towards Dipper and held a hand out to help him up.

The brunet didn't take it. Instead he pushed himself off the ground and shut himself off. Bill was right but he couldn’t let himself be an open book to the demon either. Still… letting it all out and having someone understand him felt...good. He felt alive rather mess of nerves he had been feeling lately with his deadline. Like now for example, his cheeks were flushed and he was still slightly out of breath. The adrenaline from the chase was still pumping in his veins like it had so often as a preteen when he first came here. He had missed this.

Finally Dipper felt a bubble rise in his chest and it hiccuped into a small laugh. 

Even if it was only a tiny step in the direction he wanted, the demon in front of him looked pleased. "That's more like it. Now what was this about teaching me to cook?"

—————————————————

Dipper had shown Bill how to cook scrambled eggs. The other didn't really enjoy the task too much, complaining about not being able to try the food in this form. Still, Bill wasn't one to back out of a challenge and agreed to try and make one himself. With his flimsy arms, he had struggled to whisk the eggs and they ended up looking a little funny much to Bill's disappointment. This though did not deter the demon from demanding that the Dipper eat his ‘masterpiece’.

Not that he really needed to. Dipper didn’t like wasting food and was going to eat it anyways. Still, it was funny watching the demon pretend not to stare at him chewing away. It was obvious that he was waiting for Dipper to get to his egg and gauge his reaction. The male twin had a perfect plan for revenge. As an added payback for the earlier incident, the brunet purposely made disgusted faces when he finally did chew on Bill’s scrambled egg. They weren’t too bad, but it was worth the look of contempt that the star gave him. 

Eventually he shooed off Bill to get him to clean up the mess he had made with the salt and sugar in the shack. Dipper had hoped it would have been a chore for the star, but things never went his way. He shouldn’t have been surprised when Bill came back a minute later saying that a snap of fingers was all it took to make it disappear. At least Bill had done him the favor and removed the stuff from his hair as well. 

When Dipper had finished, he went upstairs to start his laptop and put his glasses on. There was a lot of writing to be done and he was falling behind now that he had material to write. He just hadn't expected the demon to follow him to watch. To be honest, Dipper had kind of wanted some peace and quiet to himself. Those were the complete opposites of Bill. 

Wasn't there anything better for Bill to do with his time than constantly annoy him?

Apparently he hadn't needed to fret because the star let him type and instead chose to float around his room exploring it. From the corner of his eye he would watch as Bill flipped through pages on the floor and read or organize them in a neat pile on his bed. That or he'd pick up clothes from the ground and set them in the hamper to try and clean up the place. It was quite endearing actually. 

Every rare moment or so, Bill would ask him a question about something peculiar he'd found. For example, why he had a picture of a boat hanging near his bed or why in the world was there a giant chess pawn growing out of the roof. 

Eventually the demon seemed to grow bored and went to lie down on his newly claimed prize. He hummed contently and Dipper rolled his eyes as his fingers clacked on the keys. He had no idea what was so great about the damn pillow. Dipper wasn't about to ask either least he get distracted and procrastinate even more.

Oh well, at least he had a nice tune to work with. It sounded upbeat and the brunet wondered what song it was. 

Some time during his writing, his phone buzzed with a text from Mabel. She had arrived safely and reminded Dipper to deliver the sweater that was on her bed. Perhaps he'd leave it in a box outside the tent tomorrow like a delivery guy. It was the only plan that didn't involve seeing Gideon again any time soon. He texted her a response and they looked forward to seeing each other soon.

After another hour, Bill grew restless. He could hear the demon shifting and sighing. It was only a matter of time before he'd object to being ignored for so long. Dipper was about to bet with himself before the star finally gave in and spoke.

"Pinetree?"

Well Dipper was pretty much done anyways. He could still go on but even he was starting to get tired. Dipper closed the laptop and turned in his chair to acknowledge the demon with a raised brow.

"Ive been meaning to ask, why were you wearing that ridiculous outfit and what happened with Blondie and her red headed friend?"

Oh. He cringed with embarrassment at even the mention of it.

"You were watching?"

"I'm always watching kiddo."

Dipper slumped in his chair. So Bill had been spying on him while he pretended to be out. Of course he would do that and ignore his pleas to talk. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth at this revelation. 

Also, who knew what the damn toy had been up to during his temper tantrum other than messing with his stuff. Whatever the demon had seen though, these questions were ones he'd rather forget.

"I really don't want to talk about it. Especially not with you.” Dipper replied curtly.

Bill seemed offended by this. His eye narrowed, "And why not?"

“First of all, you ignored me when you were clearly watching me try and get you to talk to me. Second of all, I'm sooo not going to discuss my love life with you or that abomination of a costume that is never touching my skin again.” Dipper had meant for it to come out more forceful, but instead his voice cracked at the end. Stupid. Stupid. He thought those kinds things went away after puberty.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the star on his pillow that’s for sure.

“Yeesh. Alright, touchy subjects. I get it. No need to chew off anyone's head here.” Bill chuckled and Dipper looked away in shame.

He heard a sigh come from the pillow, "Don't let it get to you Pinetree. If it makes you feel any better, _love_ is your sick raw biological urge to reproduce by trying to dress up in a suit and charm its way through the opera.” Bill seemed to get louder and he stood up as he continued his rant, "Don't be fooled by the high priced PR and fancy linens! This impostor known as love only wants to tie you down and drag you into an early grave! You’re much better off without it.”

Was this supposed to be love advice? 

Dipper had no idea how to respond to this. He didn’t even know where to begin. Why did Bill always say the weirdest things. So lost in his thoughts, he was sure he was just staring blankly at the other right now.

“Better?”

How exactly was that supposed to make him feel better?

“A little? Not really? But thanks...I think?"

Pleased with the response, Bill lay back down in the pillow and closed his eye.

"No problem. Just another tip, free of charge from yours truly.” He waved his arms and pointed at himself.

Dipper frowned. "Free tip? You mean you charge people for spouting that...stuff?" He had to stop himself from saying crap and instead amended it. He didn’t want insult the demon now that they were getting along a little better. 

Bill still took offense to the words because he glared at Dipper. 

"I don't know what you're trying to imply Pinetree, but I don’t like it. To answer your question though, yes I do. Nothing too pricey or deal related if that’s what you’re implying. It usually involves offerings of bended forks, recorded screams, and wearing foil hats. You're just lucky I like you, so you can get this kind of _stuf_ without that hassle."

Dipper immediately felt bad for all those who had to suffer through any of the above descriptions for some half whack advice from Bill. Sure the star had the knowledge of the universe at his fingertips, but who would ask a demon for love advice?

"Gee how thoughtful."

The star pouted. "I don't appreciate your tone right now Pinetree.”

Dipper rolled his eyes at this, "And I don't appreciate you taking my pillow. You don't even need it!"

Bill snickered at his frustration, "It's mine fair and square. Not my fault your sister threw you under the bus.”

Oh no. He was not bringing Mabel into this. The demons was the one who specifically wanted the pillow, even when he offered hers. God why was the demon always getting him worked up?

"What am I going to sleep with? I brought that one from home, Mabel's old one stinks of glue and stuffed with glitter. It's extremely lumpy!"

Then Bill did something that made Dipper want to claw his eyes out. Okay maybe it was an exaggeration but he did not need to see that! The stupid star leaned on his side and slid a finger tip across the pillow with a seductive gaze, “Why Pinetree, are you asking me to share?" 

Dipper’s face burned and the horror of his reaction had him stuttering a loud, “N-no!"

"Sounds a lot like you are~” Bill sang out cheerfully. 

Oh my god. the asshole was doing this on purpose. This was the worst. He just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Dipper tried to steel himself to respond and gave a short sounding, "Not happening."

He was quite proud of his reply until Bill started cracking up again, “Good, because I wasn't going to anyways."

That’s it! Dipper let out an snarl as he got up yanked on the pillow hard. This caused Bill to fumble off and roll onto the bed with a startled expression.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Dipper tossed the pillow onto Mabel's bed and smirked. "I'm going to bed and you're in the way."

The demon was taken aback, "But I was laying here first!"

Dipper glowered over the star toy, "Yeah well it's my bed. You never asked for the bed, so go have fun gloating about your pillow over there." He emphasized this by pointing at the opposite bed.

The demon gave him an icy stare for a good ten seconds before he let out a huff and muttered something about ungratefulness under his breath. Eventually though, the demon got up and floated over to Mabel's bed. The star made a big show of fluffing up the pillow and continuing to glare at Dipper. He began petting the damn thing like it was a mishandled treasure. 

The brunet flicked him off and the demon gasped in mock horror. At this point Dipper didn’t care if he made the other angry. Although...It seemed more like Bill didn’t care about that and was rather enjoying this little fit of emotion from Dipper. 

Whatever. This was still a success to Dipper. With another victory under his metaphorical belt, the male twin began the process of undoing his real belt and stripping off his clothes. He tried to ignore the odd sensation of being stared at and quickly slipped under the covers with a sigh. 

Right before he reached for the lamp to turn it off, Bill had to try and get the last word in, "I hope you're ready for some mind numbing body research kid."

"Yeah, yeah I know what my end of the deal was. Now goodnight Bill.”

The light went off, and expecting that to be the end of it he settled into a comfortable position. Well, as comfortable as one person without a pillow could be. 

"Oh I will have a good night," Bill made sure to pat the pillow loudly for him to hear.

Dipper scowled and let out a frustrated growl. Bill was still messing with him? Well he wasn't going to take the bait. He turned over on his bed to face the wall and ignored the demon. That finally did it.

After a couple of minutes, Dipper felt his mind slowly fade. He was aware of something soft landing to rest near his head, but was too close to the other side to try and figure out what it was. He could have sworn though that right before he slipped into a deep oblivion, a bittersweet lullaby was being hummed softly into the night air.

 

**********

The world in front of him shifted in and out of focus for a moment until Dipper accepted where he was. He was in his usual starting point by the Bill statue. This time though, he was facing the red hallway instead of the yellow one. The real triangle was no where in sight. Based on the chords chiming from the other direction, the demon was probably in the yellow room again. 

Still… 

Dipper couldn’t help but inch slowly towards the red lit hues that were beckoning him. What were in these other hallways? Why did Bill separate them? How come they never ventured this way? There were so many questions and it couldn’t hurt to take a sneak peek right?

Looking both ways, the brunet tip-toed his way closer until he was touching the arch that made the entry way. Unlike the yellow hallway, this one seemed unwelcoming and was oddly empty. That is until you looked further down. If he squinted, Dipper could make out that there were some things floating in the distance but as to what...well that was anyone's guess. 

Experimentally, Dipper reached his hand in and what happened next caused him to choke on a scream. In front of him, his hand started to melt away and his bones began to protrude from his skin. It was gruesome and something straight out of a horror movie. 

He retracted his hand immediately and grasped it close to his body in shock. Dipper examined the ruined hand to gauge how terrible the damage really was, only to find that his hand had turned back to normal. 

Huh

It must have been an illusion caused by the light. How strange. Even when he had figured it out, the sudden grip on his shoulder made him scream for real.

Dipper was whipped around forcefully to come face to face with a very displeased eye.

“B-Bill!”

The hand on his shoulder tightened and out of the corner of his eye, Dipper could see the arm was shaking.

“Pinetree. I’m only going to ask this once. What do you think you were doing?” The words came out as if through gritted teeth. 

“I-I w-was curious.”

Oh god he wish he could stop stuttering, but Bill was terrifying him right now. He didn’t even know if that was the right answer to give the other. 

It seemed like whatever he saw appeased the triangle because eventually the hold slackened.

“Listen up kid. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this case satisfaction won’t bring you back capiche?”

Bill got closer and the look did not become any less menacing. Dipper couldn’t help but nod. He just wanted this to be over with and move on.

“Good. I’m glad we could come to an agreement Pinetree. Trust me, you don’t want to go in there or the other room for that matter.” The other’s voice was still stern but he was released with a flick on the forehead as punishment. The demon then retreated towards the yellow hall with his hands behind his triangular back.

Dipper knew he shouldn't have let them, but the word left his mouth before he could stop them, “Why?"

The demon halted but didn’t turn around. “Let’s just say I separated them for a reason. You’d be thanking me if you knew, but you don’t and it’s going to stay that way.”

This did not help at all. Dipper only felt his curiosity spread like a wild fire in his mind. What was Bill hiding? Why did that room try to hurt him? Was it a defense mechanism? Is that how Bill found out he had been snooping? The flames caught onto every fiber of his being and nothing would put it out but the truth. 

He was so distracted that the brunet didn’t notice when Bill had appeared next to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. Gently the demon ushered him forward and that snapped Dipper back to his senses.

He turned to Bill half expecting him to be smug or amused, but instead the other looked lost in thought as his pupil focused on the ground.

“Bill?”

At this the demon perked up. “Ready to figure out how to make my body?" 

\------  
Once Dipper had settled into a chair with some recommendations from Bill piled in a neat stack, he dove into reading. He studied different methods and folklore, but most of it was theory and not proven. Then again, who would be crazy enough to even do something like this in real life?

Bill meanwhile was back at the piano singing along to some other unknown tune to him. Based on the lyrics though, it seemed like the song had been created to fit the demon to a ’T’.

"Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time  
I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out  
Yeah  
I'm floating around in ecstasy  
So don't stop me now  
don't stop me  
'Cause I'm having a good time having a good time  
I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky  
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity  
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva  
I'm gonna go go go  
There's no stopping me"

The lyrics sent a chill down Dipper's back at the implications of them. He did not want to imagine the demon trying to take over the world again. So the brunet tried his best to tune out the rest of the song.

Luckily something specific caught Dipper’s attention. Alchemy? On the page it described transmutation and magic circles capable of creating human life out of chemistry ingredients. Maybe this was a possible way?

Dipper called out to the demon and Bill held up a third hand that appeared. Like the song suggested Bill was unable to ruin the song by stopping now. It irked Dipper as the triangle continued to sing the chorus to it's end. Was he taking this body thing seriously?

Dipper was glad once the piano tapered off to an end and the triangle floated over.

"Found something Pinetree or did you finally accept the inevitability that you will die alone and you were starting feeling lonely?"

The brunet blanched, unable to humor the other with a quick retort. Bill sure was getting a lot more comfortable saying stupid things like this. He needed to set the line straight.

"Well, if you'd take this a little more seriously, we might find answers quicker by working together here with you close by."

"So you did miss me. I knew it!"

Dipper mentally screamed. He hadn't meant for it to come out that way. 

"No! I'm saying I found something but I can't ask for your advice if you're all the way over there!" The brunet jammed his finger at the text in front of him, "Like this for example. Would this actually work?"

Immediately Bill's face went from mirth to seriousness. His eye scanned the pages, flipping them magically, until he slammed the book shut.

"Hey!"

"No. Look for something else," was all he replied. 

Dipped balled his fists, unable to accept a simple no, "It won't work?"

"Oh it will. Somewhat."

"Somewhat?" Dipper raised a brow and flipped through the pages himself to try and find an answer. 

When Dipper made it obvious to Bill that he wasn't going to give up, the demon exhaled.

"I've seen it been done before. A pair of brothers once lost body parts trying to bring back the dead this way. In other dimensions, I've seen death befall the alchemist. It could work, but with your lack of skill, you'd more than likely end dead or worse, you dig?"

"What's worse than death?"

"Nothing you'd want to hear right now." When the brunet raised a brow the triangle added on, "Remember? You don't like my free advice."

Dipper slammed the book shut again and let out a sigh. If it involved another one of Bill's crazy rants then no, he did not.

"Uh yeah, no thanks then."

Pleased with being right, the demon leaned back and floated in a relaxed position. "Any other ideas?"

"Not really."

Dipper thought about it. He really was struggling to find any type of lead that would narrow down his choice of books. At this rate it could take months before he found anything substantial. Maybe if he got a feel from Bill what he wanted, it would help this tedious search.

"But I do have some questions."

"Mmm shoot then." Bill closed his eye as if bracing himself for something he didn't want to answer. It was a bit confusing to Dipper as to why he'd agree to this if he wasn't into it. Still, the male twin decided to give it a shot.

"I was wondering, you know, if you could choose...What kind of body would you want?"

A half-lidded eye opened in interest, "What do you mean?"

"Uhh well, like what color hair or eyes do you want? Stuff like that or whether you want to be short like this form or sort of tall like you real demon form? That's what I mean."

"Real demon form?" The triangle repeated and appeared miffed by this question. 

Oh shit. He shouldn't have brought that up. Now Dipper felt awkward talking about the monster that once plagued his nightmares when he was younger. 

He swallowed hard.

"Y-you know that red eldritch pyramid with yellow arms that you um chased us in."

Bill's eye narrowed, "When you ruined my plans for Weirdmageddon?"

Dipper nodded. Fuck this was going downhill fast.

"What gave you the impression that it was my real form?" the demon's voiced dropped an octave and once again Dipper was regretting his damn curiosity. 

The truth was that he actually didn't know why he had assumed that. When Dipper really thought about it, it just seemed to make the most sense. Normally In games and movies, don't the bad guys usually reveal their true forms during the boss challenge?

"I...just thought, you know, it was like the final boss in games and that was your final form" he stuttered. Oh god he sounded like such a nerd right now. Mabel would be laughing at him if she was here. 

How could you blame him though? He had been just a preteen when it happened. His favorite game back then had been Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons! 

Okay admittedly it was still one of his favorites. It's a classic! 

Sure enough, Bill laughed his triangular ass off at him, "You're comparing me to a video game character?"

Once again Dipper's whole face went up in flames. 

When he couldn't respond, Bill continued, "Oh Pinetree. You're just like ole Fordsy sometimes it's uncanny." The demon flicked his nose teasingly, "And here I thought you would've have noticed by now."

Dipper managed to clear his through and swallow the embarrassment a little, "Notice what?"

Bill shook his body in disappointment, "You know, the way my body gets bigger and smaller, the projections on my body, how I can change color?"

Oh.

It hit him smack in the face. How more obvious could it be? "You're a shape shifter."

Bill looked satisfied that it had come out as statement and not a question.

"Bingo!"

"So this-"

"Yup"

"Not the black or red?"

"Nope."

Ohhhh. He didn't understand why but finding out anything about triangle in front of him was extremely fascinating. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Bill was one of the many mysteries of Gravity Falls he never truly solved. Dipper decided to try his luck and press further.

"So why a small yellow triangle with a bow tie?"

Bill raised a brow at him. Whether it was because he knew what Dipper was planning or because he took offense to the question, Dipper would never know.

"Why are you a flesh bag with the Ursa Major for a forehead?"

Touche.

"...Right. But there are plenty of humans. I've never seen anything else like you. Are you from a place full of shapes or triangles?"

At this, Bill's posture changed. He crossed his arms and became guarded and wary. "Maybe. Why the sudden interest?"

Dipper's heart raced. 

Only because you're the biggest and interesting mystery of them all.

Yet, the brunet would rather die than admit that out loud. 

"Well um no real reason," Dipper scratched behind his head, "I was just curious. I mean, Great Uncle Ford mentioned it once. He said you had told him about the dimension where you are from. Of course, he refused to give me any other details than that."

Dipper looked down at at his open palms in his lap. He wasn't sure to what extent Ford's relationship with Bill had been, but it brought a bitter taste to his mouth that Ford was so secretive about it. The journal had shed some light, but he knew that his uncle had left plenty of things out of the Cipher File. 

He glanced back at Bill and saw him lost in thought too. The demon was flashing images of what Dipper presumed was that day in the fearamid of him holding Ford hostage. When he noticed Dipper's stare, the images faded. 

"It doesn't matter," He started off slowly and then waved it off with his arm, "That life was trillions of years ago. A life that, well let's just say, I wouldn't be welcomed back to."

The bitterness came rising up his throat again. Of course Bill wouldn't tell him anything. Of course Bill would like Ford enough over him to tell him everything. 

When he realized where his thoughts were heading, Dipper swallowed them down. Maybe if he tried a different angle, he could get the demon to trust him. 

Ughhh Dipper realized what he said and cringed at his own pun.

"Doesn't keeping that all in feel a little lonely? What did you do that you can't say to an ally?"

Bill's eye widened and for a rare moment he saw uncertainty flash across his expression. 

"Listen kid. Some stories are better off left unsaid. I know that information doesn't settle your thirst for knowledge," the triangle reached forward and knocked on Dipper's head, "But if I tell you one thing, will we lay off the subject?"

Only one thing?

Dipper knew he'd never be satisfied with just that, but the brunet would rather accept one thing than nothing. Maybe with time?

"Okay."

Once again the demon became pensive. Whatever it was seemed to bother the demon more than he let on as his eye projected a flame flickering.

"Pinetree, you wouldn't understand where I came from. In my two-dimensional world, a shape such as myself was considered deformed and abhorred," Bill spat out the last words vehemently, "I was labeled an outcast when I was born and that's all you need to know."

It caused a shudder to run down Dipper's spine. 

Woah. 

What could that possibly mean? What had been wrong with Bill's shape? This didn't quell his thirst for knowledge at all. It just raised more questions.

"Bill that's not fair! You can't just drop a bombshell like that and not expect me to not want to ask more!"

The triangle held out a hand in a motion to stop, "Too bad kid. I'm done talking about."

Grrrr 

Why did Bill have to be so damn cryptic all the time? For once he honestly cared about the other's past and wanted to redeem him, but it's like Bill wanted the opposite. 

Dipper forcefully flipped a page and hoped the other noticed. He'd try a different method then to learn more about him.

"Fine! So a triangle is your real form and you can shape-shift. Why didn't you change into a shape that isn't disliked. Why can't you change into a human?"

"Pinetree," Bill warned, "I thought we were dropping the subject." He flashed a dangerous glint in his eye.

Dipper raised his hands in defense. "It just doesn't make sense to me is all. This isn’t necessarily a question about your past. This is more like trying to help me in order to help you become human question."

Bill glared. It was pretty obvious he didn't believe him. "You sure are persistent, I'll give you that.” The triangle began pacing in the air in agitation. "I couldn't change my form back then and I can't maintain it now. It takes a lot of energy to change forms. That's why in most instances that I change, I turn back after a little while."

Oh…. Dipper stored this little fact in his mental notes. 

"Of course, in the mindscape that doesn't apply as much. I'm more powerful here than I am out there.” Bill rubbed under his eye for a moment before his pupil became a light bulb and lit up. He floated a few feet away and turned around with serious intent gleaming off him.

"Get up."

"What? Why?"

Bill having an idea never meant anything good. Dipper refused to budge.

"Just do it and come over here.” Even though the triangle asked, the chair underneath him disappeared, giving him no choice. The brunet stumbled to prevent himself from falling and glared the other. The demon just wink-blinked at him. “Don’t make me drag you over here."

Ugh

Dipper trudged over to stand in front of Bill. Even though he was put out by having almost landed on his ass, he couldn’t help but feel curious as to what the demon wanted.

"You asked what I wanted to look like if I got a body right?

He had. Was that what was happening right now? 

Dipper nodded.

That was all the triangle in front of him needed to start his little rant. "Well to be honest, I've never imagined myself as a pathetic skin puppet. I never thought I'd swoop so low as to consider trapping myself in a slowly decaying wet bag as a last resort. Although, I'll admit I do enjoy putting human flesh on and upholstering it once I'm done. This one, disappointingly enough, will have to be a keeper. Hmmm...Anyways Pinetree, you know flesh things more than I do. What do you think I would look like?"

Dipper didn't miss how the demon had mentioned his predicament again. A last resort? 

Wait, flesh upholstery? 

Bill looked at him expectantly. 

No. The male twin didn't have time to dwell on what he'd just heard.

"So uh you want me to do what exactly and how?"

The triangle tsked, "Here. Let me start you off..."

Before Dipped could ask what he meant, Bill transformed in front on him into a mirror image I himself. No it looked just like him, but it was still different. Instead of his hazel eyes, the figure in front of him had yellow and cat-like ones. 

Bipper

Bipper laughed as the original was too in shock to move. Then he reached for Dipper's wrist and pulled him closer. 

"W-wait!"

Dipper could feel his heart slam against his chest hard as he was suddenly too close for comfort and his nerves tensed.

"Bill! Let go!"

Bipper rolled his eyes, "Yeesh. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." 

Slowly, the demon placed Dipper's hand on his hair and held it there. The palm gripping him was oddly hot and clammy. He tried to pull away, but Bipper only gripped him tighter. 

Hazel eyes met Amber ones. They burned through him and for a moment Dipper felt like he was standing too close to the sun. All thoughts of resisting any of this disintegrated in that heated gaze.

"Now when you think of me, what color hair do you think I'd have?" 

A thumb grazed his hand and his mind came stuttering to a start. 

"W-what?"

Bipper grinned but this time he had a mouth to do it with. "Come on Pinetree. Give it a try. Think of a hair color."

Uh...Dipper looked at his hand and inadvertently tangled his fingers into the soft curls underneath. It felt good to his touch. 

Well, Bill was mostly yellow. He guessed it would make some sense for Bill to be a blond.

The moment the notion entered his mind, brown hair slowly melted into blond locks right before his eyes. It freaked him out and Dipper tried to yank away again, but his wrist was held in place. 

"Well? What color is it now?" Bipper raised his eyebrows expectantly.

That's when Dipper understood what was happening. Like how the mindscape could conjure anything he wanted by thinking it, it could read his mind and try to change Bill's appearance. Fascination blossomed in his chest. 

"Um, see for yourself?" Suddenly nervous that the demon wouldn't like it, he closed his eyes. He pictured a standing mirror in his head and he could hear it land next to them. 

It was still weird to him that he could do that, but at least it was convenient in this case. Dipper kept his eyes shut and didn't dare stare at their reflections. 

Bipper let out a gasp in front on him and he felt the breath ghost against his face. 

Startled, Dipper's eyes flew open. He assumed the demon had reacted in disgust, but what he hadn't expected see was the other gazing at himself in the mirror appreciatively. Bipper's own hand went up to tug at the newly colored locks.

"Not bad Pinetree." Bill smirked.

It took a while for Dipper to find his voice. Now that he thought about it, even though the color fit Bill, it did not look good on him. 

He had to change some things about the mirror body before the blond hair would make sense. 

"Thanks? Although...I don't think curls suit you very much. I wonder what it would looks like if it were straight?" Gradually the curls relaxed and lost their form. 

Well that was a difference. It didn't look that much better on him either, but this changing thing was a process after all. 

Dipper felt Bipper tug on his wrist and drag it down towards the forehead and stopped. 

When nothing happened, Bill rolled his eyes.

"We both can't have matching birthmarks," he explained tersely.

Oh

Dipper willed the birthmark away and it disappeared. It was too easy and he wished he could do the same to his own.

Satisfied, Bipper tugged again and moved their hands to cover those piercing gold eyes. Eyelashes fluttered beneath his fingers and Dipper let out a soft gasp.

Okay. Focus Dipper. What kind of eyes would make sense for Bill?

He pictured Bill's actual eye and immediately images of how expressive it is crossed his mind. It would only make sense for Bill's eyes in his human form to be the same as well. It just had to look normal enough to other people. Dipper envisioned long lashes and human amber eyes, but then shook his head at that. No normal person had those colored eyes. 

What goes well with blond hair? 

Shit!

He couldn't stop himself from thinking and next thing he knew Bipper took a step back from his hand.

Beautiful deep blue irises peered at his, through Dipper's still raised fingers. Interest was shining brightly in their depths and maybe something more. Dipper wasn't sure why but his heart started hammering in his chest the longer Bill stared at him and his face felt hot. 

Blond hair and blue eyes. What had he been thinking!?

It wasn't until Bill turned to look in the mirror that Dipper felt like he could breath again. 

"Blue huh? Can't say I expected that. I'm actually quite fond of yours." Bipper let go of his wrist and reached out to grasp Dipper's face with both hands gently. The brunet only had a second to enjoy the strange feeling before he felt the other pulling him close. 

Oh god. What was Bill doing?

Blue eyes were only a few inches away and Dipper can feel Bill's breath on him. It sent a shiver down his spine. His head became dizzy with the intimacy of it all. 

"What color is that? I can see all the colors in the world that humans can't, yet I can never tell...

Like a switch, the voice cleared his head and suddenly it was way too much. Dipper placed his hands on Bipper's chest and pushed hard. 

"Have you never heard of personal space? You can't just get that close to people without permission!"

Luckily for him, Bill let himself be moved away and just laughed. Those stupid and perfect azure eyes twinkled in amusement.

This had to be changed immediately.

"You know what? You're right. Wrong choice. Maybe yours would be hazel like mine. After all, hazel eyes tend to change color. Yours does that a lot in your triangle form." He tried to explain that without sounding like he was trying to convince himself, but he failed. He could tell that much by the smirk that never left Bipper's face.

Much to his relief, Bill didn't object.

"Alright then kid. Come over here and change them."

He was going to miss the blue...

Nope. No. Not going to think like that. 

Dipper stomped over to the demon and placed a hand on the other's eyes again to change them. When he lifted his hand and hazel eyes stared up at him, the blue and gold colors in the irises didn't go unnoticed by the brunet. 

Dipper decided not to think of it anymore and move on. His fingers trailed to Bipper's nose and he pictured it without the redness that genetics passed on to him. It changed to the perfect chiseled nose he always wanted. 

Bill poked the protruding point and smiled at it. He scrunched up his face and tried to wiggle it for good measure. 

It wasn't until what came next, Dipper staring at soft lips, that he tried to pull away again. That was enough for one day right? It wasn't like this was going to be Bill's body right? This was getting too weird even for him and he didn't want to know how much further down they would go. 

Of course, the brunet wasn't surprised, when his hand was caught again and pressed forcefully against pursed lips.

Oh god. They felt as soft as they looked. 

Dipper refused in every part of his brain to acknowledge that Bill was kissing his hand. Once again his face felt hot and the male twin couldn't deny now that he was probably blushing. 

Why him? Why was this happening? 

Bill only raised an eyebrow in response. 

"I-I I think the mouth is fine. Maybe a little wider? No wait! N-nevermind! Can we _please_ move to the next thing!?" Dipper stammered and he felt the other's grin press against his fingers. 

Unable to stand the embarrassment anymore, Dipper shoved his fingers down to escape Bipper's hold and it landed on the other's neck. Instinct caused him to grip it lightly. It was strange and something he had never done to another human before, but he didn't budge.

In fact, he thought for sure that he would feel some sort of satisfaction at having Bill in such a vulnerable position, but instead it sent a sharp heat down to his stomach. Like being burned, Dipper yelped and pulled away. This time Bill let him go without much fuss and with a strange look on his face. 

Dipper stormed away to go back to his chair, clearly letting the other know he was done with this experience. He sat down with a huff and refused to acknowledge the strange feelings that were confusing him. Dipper instead grabbed another book and propped it open. 

Yet...when the figure he left behind remained oddly quiet, the brunet couldn't help but take a quick glance behind him. 

Bill was too busy checking himself out in the mirror to be the usual pain in his ass at the moment. Oddly enough, a bow tie had appeared around his neck. Dipper wondered if he had unintentionally done that when he was grasping Bipper's neck. 

More than likely he did.

He continued to stare as Bill grew himself a little taller and made his clothes change to a variety of different styles. It seemed pretty obvious that the other could have probably done this all by himself without Dipper suffering this humiliation. 

Bill's eyes met his in the mirror briefly and Dipper immediately dropped his gaze back to the books, pretending to be much more interested in them.

Bipper's style and choice in clothes were weird. The last thing he had seen him in before turning back to his book were a pair of high fitting yellow pants, with a wide black belt. His shirt was a fitted white collared blouse. It was tucked in with yellow splotches on them that Dipper could only guess were triangles. The top three buttons were left undone. It reminded Dipper of clothes from a certain decade, but he couldn't remember which one for the life of him. He'd have to look into it. 

For now, he wasn't going to be caught dead staring at the good looking demon checking himself out. Instead he focused on the pages in front of him and zoned out the voice of Bill complimenting himself. The demon _would_ have the ego to find himself attractive.

Ugh.

Dipper flipped a page maybe a little too aggressively and was surprised when it didn't tear. Huh. Maybe the books were un-harmable. Had he not cared for books as much as he did, he would've tested the theory. Maybe he could ask Bill sometime when he got over himself. 

The brunet continued to read and snorted at the page in front of him. It was completely unsatisfying. He wasn't about to raise the dead again and inject Bill's soul into it. He highly doubted that the demon would want that either.

Next!

Eighty pages more and Dipper found himself becoming weary and removed his glasses to rub his eyes.

Ugh searching for this body thing was turning out to be much harder than he originally thought. Mentally drained, Dipper placed his head down and rested it on his crossed arms. He would much rather be investigating the paranormal right now or sleeping for real, but he knew a deal was a deal. Another quick break couldn't hurt though. 

 

Just as he was beginning to relax, Dipper felt something small rest on his head. He seized up and was about to lift his neck when fingers wove through strands and massaged his scalp. It was pure bliss and Dipper couldn't help but close his eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling. That is until he realized whose hand that belonged to. With a jerk, he raised his head only to find Bill back in his triangle form. He was staring down at him, an unsureness about him.

How odd...

Bill pulled back awkwardly and let his arms hang. The demon looked away, "You look tired. Maybe we should call it a night?"

Dipper wanted nothing more but to say yes, but stubbornness prevented him. If he could go on longer, he would.

"How long have we been in here?"

Bill pulled out a pocket watch, "About four hours. Why? You want to keep going?"

Dipper shrugged and let out a sigh. "Not really, but I only have a few pages to go. Might as well finish this one and start fresh tomorrow."

Bill contemplated this but eventually gave in, "Your call Pinetree. Just let me know when you're ready."

"Y-yeah," he stuttered. The triangle's mood had shifted drastically and it was weird. It even threw him off. 

Dipper watched as Bill floated away while staring at his hand. The hand that Dipper could still feel the ghost of where it had been on his scalp not that long ago. 

Had Bill been trying to comfort him? 

Hah. He must be really losing sleep if he was thinking that way. 

Dipper laughed to himself for a moment before concentrating back on the book on front of him. This one page mentioned a story about how a Demi God went into the depths of hell to bring his true love back to life. It was romantic for sure but none of that applied. He picture Bill and himself in those roles and the idea of it all was ridiculous in itself.

He flipped through some more pages until something caught his eye. On the top of the page it showed two Greek figures next to each other with horses behind them. Labeled under them were the words "The Mythology of Twins".

While this probably had nothing to do with making a body, Dipper couldn't help but read the paragraphs in front of him. The page went on to describe how twins were considered ominous and auspicious during certain parts of history. The parallelism of that statement, compared to Bill's life before were not lost on him. He kept reading about how twins were also magical and considered the signs of fertility, life and dualistic universes. 

Then the following sentences left a cold trail running through his veins. Under the paragraph that contained stories of mythological pairs, it mentioned how one twin god had once sacrificed a part of him to give his dead twin brother life again. 

Was it possible?

His mind was suddenly reeling, a million thoughts per minute flashing through. When it came crashing down, he snapped back into reality. Could this be the answer?

"Bill?"

He glanced up to find the demon humming to a tune as he played on the piano. At his name the triangle caught his eye. He raised a brow but floated over to him nonetheless. When he was close enough, Dipper pointed at the page.

"What is this?"

"Hm?" Bill lowered his gaze and began skimming through the page. "Oh the tale of Castor and Pollux? You didn't learn about this in school?"

Who?

"Uh not really. They don't go too into detail about the Greek and Roman gods anymore. It's considered more of a fairytale nowadays than literature."

Bill looked appalled at this. 

"What a shame. A whole culture being thrown away and wasted on you meatbags. You know, there a lot you can learn from stories like theirs. Much better than any soap opera you can find on that electric piece of junk box with pictures, you flesh bags like to stare at and drool."

Dipper blinked, "You mean the TV?"

"Sure, whatever you want to call it," Bill said impatiently and then continued, "Anyways, what about it? I seriously doubt you've never heard stories about twins, seeing as you are one."

Actually...

Dipper ducked his head and turned away. "No one has ever brought it up before. I had no idea that being a twin meant anything magical or that it had any connotations to it..." He trailed off but then forced himself to keep talking, "That's not the point though. Do you think I could use my twin body to give you a life and body like Pollux did?"

The demon's face became unreadable for a moment. "Interesting idea kid. I like the way you're thinking. Hold on." 

The triangle floated away to a few shelves some toes down and quickly reappeared with a different book in his hands. He opened it and the pages turned so quickly it had to have only been a matter of seconds before the book closed again. 

"Hmm...Well I have bad news and even worse news. Which one do you want first?"

"Isn't it supposed to be good news and bad news?" Dipper questioned, already feeling uneasy. 

"Hah! I never pictured you as the optimistic Pinetree. I suppose if you look at it that way, there is a silver lining to both news."

"And that is?"

"That it's possible, but you won't like what I'm about to tell you next." The demon paused for dramatic effect.

"What?"

The anxiety was rising in him and he could feel his stomach starting to clench up. 

"The bad news is that if you did it alone, you'd die."

"What? I'd die? Then how is it possible?"

That's when Bill said the worst thing he could ever hear, "Well that's the worse news Pinetree. If you want this to work, we'll need both sets of twins, not just one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the wait was worth it~ 
> 
> So the next story arch begins after this with them trying to get Bill a human body. I can't wait to show you guys what's in store. It's going to be an adventure that's for sure. The feeling can only get stronger from here too ;)
> 
> Thanks again to all who have left comments and kudos. You all are life! If you want to follow me on my tumblr it's in my bio and for the fic tumblr it's Fallingforstars.tumblr.com
> 
> See you in two weeks!


	10. Making the Right Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper faces some inner and outer conflict. Will he be able to face them on his own or will it take some advice from those he loves to get him through it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update. This chapter was such a struggle for a lot of reasons that'll I'll explain at the end. I may have said the adventure begins in this chapter, I lied. Whoops! Anyways, enjoy the chapter and see you at the bottomI

It had been two days since Dipper had discovered the story of Pollux and Castor. Two whole days of shutting himself away from the outside world and researching because he had to find something, _anything_ better than that method. 

After Bill had told him that this ritual would require his sister being involved, Dipper rejected the idea immediately. When the demon decided to elaborate on how exactly she would contribute, Dipper snapped at him and stormed out of the yellow library. He wasn't surprised when a few seconds into his tantrum, the world disappeared and the warm embrace of sleep overtook him.

When he woke up later that morning Bill had been nowhere to be found in the room. He wasn’t about to go looking for him either. It was probably for the best, because Dipper was so not in the mood to deal with him. After a quick shower, he changed into a black shirt and comfy sweats then hopped onto his laptop to work. He wouldn’t get up unless it it was to go use the bathroom or pass out on his bed.

The only time Dipper had left the house was to leave the stupid sweater at Gideon's tent in a half-assed tin-foiled wrapped box and to get coffee. He was at five cups a day now and going through it fast. It was the only way for him to concentrate and stay awake. It was a method he used often when he was struggling with deadlines for his first book. 

Even before that, it wasn’t odd for Dipper to go on mad streaks of obsession. He often did it when he was younger and he was guilty of going for days of just writing nonstop. His sister never approved of those times, but she would always support him by bringing him food or concocting a special batch of Mabel Juice just for just him. 

Currently the Pines man was chewing on his third pen of the day, with the evidence of the previous two splattered all over his hands and face. Dipper didn’t care though, he was beyond exhausted with the lack of real sleep, to the point where he was going to start seeing hallucinations soon. Even when he wasn’t on his laptop during the day, the brunet would be researching in the mindscape library in his sleep. 

Bill would have to forcefully kick him out in order for him to rest or prevent him from going into a coma. This only served to piss Dipper off and he would wake himself up out of spite to study in the waking realm. Even if he knew the demon was right, he couldn't give up just yet. 

Despite his noble cause, doing this wash’t really helping much. The research had led from one dead end right to another. Dipper had a feeling that this might be a fruitless search, he just didn’t want to admit defeat. He didn’t want to ask for Bill’s help either. Not when the demon thought that the idea of his sister being hurt was amusing. Even when the other did offer suggestions or try to chit chat, the brunet just tuned him out. He didn’t need any distractions right now. Of course, Bill would get angry at being ignored and disappear from his temporary body for hours on end. Every now and then though he’d come back to meditate and watch him, until he would try to strike up a conversation again. 

This pattern continued those two days and late into the afternoon today, until a loud clatter next to his laptop startled him.

Dipper stared at the source of the noise for a moment before his mind registered that it was a scrambled egg on a plate. 

An egg out of nowhere? 

Looks like he really did it now if he was starting to hallucinate already. Usually he could go another day or so. 

He rubbed his eyes believing that the illusion would disappear, but oddly there it remained. It must be bad.

A voice cleared their throat and Dipper looked up to see a star floating next to him. Another part of the hallucination? 

No. 

Worse. 

it was Bill.

Dipper sighed and pushed the plate away. His stomach was in knots from stress and even smelling it made him nauseous. So what if the demon looked completely offended at the gesture? It can’t be considered rude if he didn’t ask for it. 

The star glared at him before shutting his eye and rubbing his fingers over what Dipper assumed was his equivalent of a human's temple. 

"You need to eat kid. You don't look too well."

Bill looked serious but Dipper just brushed it off with a grunt, "I'm not hungry."

It was the wrong answer, because the demon's eye flashed a dangerous red before he floated towards the back of the laptop and slammed it closed. 

Dipper gaped in pure horror. 

“Dude! What the fuck!?”

That was an expensive laptop dammit!

Dipper reached for the mistreated piece of technology, but the star slapped his hands away. 

"Last I checked, you flesh sticks need to consume energy three times a day minimum. You haven't in days. Your innards have been growling out loud every ten minutes and that black box you call a phone has been screeching nonstop at the world for a day now." Bill glowered and placed his hands on his sides.

"Screeching?” he repeated dumbly.

As if Dipper had no idea what Bill was talking about, the star pointed over to his right at the cellphone near the edge of the desk.

Oh. 

Someone had been calling him?

Dipper reached for the phone and turned on the screen. The device had incredibly low battery from the lack of care and about six missed calls from Mabel, three from Gruncle Stan, and one from Ford. That didn't include the numerous text messages he missed days previously from his twin. 

Shit. 

They were probably worried sick or thought he was dead. He was surprised that neither of them had showed up to kick down the door and rescue him. 

Another thing concerned him as well. If Mabel had resorted to calling their gruncles, who knew what his sister had told them. This was not good. 

Dipper groaned and ran his hands through his greasy hair. 

Think Dipper. Think.

If Ford had only called once, then maybe Mabel hadn't told them everything. He was sure if Great Uncle Ford knew it had to do with Bill, he'd be here now.

The brunet sighed. He needed to call someone back immediately. Except, there was no way he could make a call without his phone shutting down. Dipper grunted in pain as he got up to plug it in to his charger by the bed. His bones ached from his lack of activity and he heard them pop back into movement.

"You're just going to leave it?" 

Huh? 

Dipper looked over at Bill and noticed the put-out expression he was making. The star glanced over at the plate of egg on the desk and the brunet realized what he was talking about.

"I'll eat it later or something. Right now I have some important calls to make and I'd like some privacy.” he explained and pointed towards the door.

Bill blinked and then made a face that Dipper swore would be akin to scowling if it were possible. 

What was his problem all of a sudden?

"You're being a lot more difficult about this than it needs to be Pinetree. Don't think I've appreciated being ignored and treated the way you have been doing these past couple of days. I can help you kid, but not when you're unwilling to talk."

Wait. He's saying _I_ have the attitude problem?

Dipper became defensive.

"Talk to you about what? You couldn't possibly understand what it's like to care about not wanting to hurt the people you love. That night you were practically gleeful when you told me my sister would have to hurt herself to make your body."

Bill shrugged, "Because it was perfect! Wouldn't you agree that between the both of you, she would make the perfect heart sacr-"

"Shut up!" Dipper shouted and it took the demon off guard, "I don't care how convenient it was for you, I'm not willing to hurt her. Now get out!"

The brunet pointed at the door again and the demon glared. "Fine! But consider it some more Pinetree,” Bill sneered, “Because you might not have another choice.” 

The star zoomed towards the exit with a huff and disappeared down the stairs. Dipper slammed the door behind him and turned back to his phone. He plugged it in and unlocked it to begin scrolling through his missed messages. Before he could consider who to call back first, the device started buzzing.

The caller ID blared 'Gruncle Stan' across the screen with his picture in the background. Immediately Dipper unlocked the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

A huge sigh of relief came from the other line. 

"Oh thank god kid. You almost gave me a heart attack. You had us and your sister worried sick! We've been stuck at this port for days now waiting for your call…You better have a good explanation for this."

Oh crap. He had been so consumed by his issues, Dipper hadn't realized how his actions would affect others. Immediately he felt guilty. 

"S-sorry Gruncle Stan. I just fell into one of my binge writing sessions and next thing I knew, days had passed. I didn't mean to make anyone freak out."

A voice came from the background but Dipper couldn't make out the muffled words. Based on the inflection, there was only one other person it could be. 

“Yeah he’s fine Poindexter. The kid just went into one of those things you do when you’re researching something stupid and nerdy. What? OW! What was that for?”

There was more shuffling and shouting on the other line, before Ford’s voice came through.

“Dipper? This is Ford. I need to know for sure that nothing paranor-“

Ford was interrupted by more aruguing in the background with what sounded like a, “Give me back my phone Sixer or so help me!” 

A loud sigh came through followed by the same voice explaining, “Hold on. I’m putting you on speaker phone.”

The quality of sound coming through the phone changed and Dipper could hear things like seagulls in the background.

“Did you press the right button this time?” Stan teased and Ford just groaned.

“I know how cellphones work now Stanely. I’m not an idiot.”

“Could’ve fooled me!” 

Ford then began arguing how Stan didn't even know what texting was back when they first got phones and oh god did they even remember he was on the line?

“Guys! Guys! Can you stop fighting for a moment?”

A moment of realization passed, then they both muttered a “Sorry” in unison.

Dipper let out a sigh himself, “Look I know you were worried, but I’m fine. I swear. I found some good materials and I got too into my writing to notice anything around me and stop."

Gruncle Stan laughed, “That’s great! You’ve found your inner genius again. You think you’re going to finish the draft on time?”

“I hope so. It’s been a good start so far.”

“Really?” Ford’s voice bellowed full of excitement, “Tell me about your findings! Has there been any new anomalies?”

“You’ll never believe it! I discove-“ 

A groan of annoyance came through the line from Gruncle Stan.

“Ugh here just take it. I don’t want to hear this fantasy crap. Just be sure to give it back to me so I can say goodbye,” Stan complained and then Dipper heard him walk off muttering something about nerds. 

"Sorry about that Dipper," Ford's voice boomed through the phone again as speaker was taken off, "Stan still refuses to talk about anything too detailed when it comes to the paranormal."

Dipper played with the charger wire and wrapped it around his finger.

"I know. I don't blame him. Not after everything that happened and well the whole memory thing."

"Agreed."

"But he still helps you with your research right?"

"Of course. At first it was only so he can fight them. Now that we are getting too old for that, well I suppose it's so he has an excuse to stay at sea. That and for the 'treasure and babes' as he so puts it."

Ford chuckled to himself and Dipper couldn't help but smile too. The Stan twin's relationship still had bumps, but he was glad that they were making up for lost time...and that they hadn't killed on another yet. 

"So..." The other man coaxed and Dipper went on to ramble about the garden behind the convenience store. He couldn't help but also let slip some of the other information he had read in Bill's mindscape without giving anything away. 

"Impressive Dipper. I never would have calculated that those weren't normal plants. How could I have missed that? Ah it's discoveries like these make me believe you would have made a perfect apprentice."

Dipper felt a swell of pride in his chest at the praise and then when he realized what Ford had said at the end it deflated like a balloon. The apprenticeship was still a touchy subject between them, but both agreed that this outcome been something neither of them regretted. The brunet couldn't imagine living that life now. 

Ford noticed his silence and apologized. It didn't clear the unsettling feeling completely though. That and now Dipper couldn't stop his thoughts from lingering to Mabel. He really needed to call her and let her know he was okay. 

"I-I uh know. It's okay. Don't worry about it Great Uncle Ford. I was just thinking that I need to call Mabel soon. You guys called before I could tell her I'm still alive."

Dipper gave a nervous chuckle and the man on the other line cleared his throat awkwardly as well.

"Oh yes. I completely understand. Here let me pass you on to Stanley first. He'd chew my head off if I didn't."

He heard his uncle take a few steps and then open a door. Ford called out to his brother and brought the phone to his ear one more time, "Take care of yourself Dipper. If you need a helping hand, call us. I'd be happy to give you some advice."

"Thanks Gruncle Ford...Miss you guys," he replied honestly and the other man repeated the sentiment.

There was a shuffling again of Ford handing the phone over to Stan, and Dipper waited patiently.

"What's with the long face Poindexter?" His other Gruncle came through the speaker now. Before Dipper could say anything, he heard the brothers talk with a muffled sound. Stan must be covering the receiver. 

Eventually the sound of a door slamming shut came through and his Gruncle was back on the line.

"What did he say this time kid?"

That was fast!

How did he? 

Dipper considered spilling the beans for a moment but then decided against it. He knew if he brought it up, they would end up  
fighting once the call was over.

"N-nothing," he replied and Dipper mentally slapped himself for stuttering. 

"Uh huh sure he didn't. I know when my brother is regretting something. We have similar faces after all and I woke up to that face in the mirror for far too many years."

Dipper didn't know how to respond to that. He knew now about the life his Gruncle Stan had lived. It must have been hard spending thirty years without your twin. Yet, he hardly ever brought those emotions up.

Gruncle Stan took his thinking as refusing to say more, so the other man continued. 

"Okay I see now that whatever it is, it's between you two. I'll let it go, but if he says something idiotic again let me know. I'll punch some sense into him. Thirty years in a portal will leave you with terrible social skills after all. You know he still struggles to say thank you? That ass!"

Dipper bit his tongue to prevent himself from retorting at the hypocrisy of the situation. His Gruncle complained that Ford couldn't say thank you, but Stan was also forgetting about a bad habit of his. He had a problem of not being able to say please. In fact, this had even cost him a grand prize once. 

Still, at least Gruncle Stan had said it with traces of humor in his voice. That was better than how angry he had been during Weirdmaggedon.

Dipper shook his head to clear his mind and return to the conversation at hand. 

"Thanks Gruncle Stan."

His uncle grunted, content with his response, "No problem Kiddo. I know you're not hurt or anything, but are you doing alright in the other way?"

The other way? What was he talking about? 

"What do you mean?"

A loud sigh came from the other end, "Don't play dumb Dipper. I asked your sister if she thought you needed help at the shack. I even offered to give her an excuse to skip school, to keep an eye on you of course, and she refused. Mabel said you refused to let her help you."

That surprised Dipper, "You offered her a way to skip school?"

Gruncle Stan chuckled on the other side. 

"Hah you kiddos know the routine. Playing the sick relative card always works. Who would deny a sweet little girl from visiting their stricken memory damaged uncle?"

Dipper winced. It had been a joke of course but it had been in poor taste. After all, Alzheimer's was a very serious disease.

But that was Gruncle Stan for you. He'd take a horrific event in his life and either make it into a punchline or take advantage of it. It must be a coping mechanism. 

"But that's not the point. The point is that I'm always here to talk to, even if I hate this mushy kind of crap."

Dipper felt himself choke up. It was ridiculous how he could have ever thought once that this man hated him. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to tell Stan about his dilemma, but there was no way without giving Bill away. If that happened, they'd be on the next flight in before he could say sprinkle. 

Still...his Gruncle was the only person he could really get an honest opinion on whether or not he should involve Mabel in the ritual. 

Maybe if he found a way around it without saying too much...

"Actually, I do need some advice."

Stan made a small grunt of surprise, "Really? I mean yeah! Hit me with your best shot."

Dipper smiled at his enthusiasm but then fidgeted in his seat, not knowing where to begin.

"So...part of why I uh don't want Mabel to help, is because I sort of do need her help. I'm just worried that if I have her go on this...mystery hunt with me, she'll get hurt. No, actually more than likely she will get hurt. It's dangerous Gruncle Stan, but it's the only way I can finish my research. I can't put her at risk."

The brunet took a deep gulp of hair. He had said it all so quickly that he had forgotten to breathe between sentences from the nerves. 

"I see," Stan was thoughtful for a while, probably trying to come up with the best advice to give, "You know Dipper, when I was around your age, I thought I knew what was best for my brother too. We all know the story and we all saw how much of a failure that turned out to be...Alright I'll say it, how much of a failure I turned out to be," as Stan continued to talk, the more agitated at himself he seemed to get, "Instead of letting my brother decide what he wanted to do, I ruined his project to try and keep him home with me. Of course, instead of making things better, I only ended up pushing him away and causing him to resent me. All because I never gave him that choice..."

Dipper remained silent, taking it all in as he fidgeted with the hot phone pressed against his ear. 

Stan took this as a sign to continue.

"The thing is, I never told him how I felt and that's how I ended up in that mess. I know it's probably not the same issue you're having and I'm not saying to put your sister at risk. After all, you guys are the only family I have left....but you need to tell her how you feel. She's a grown up Dipper and you need to let her know what she's going up against. Once she knows and if she still wants to do it, at least you gave her the choice to back out."

"Gruncle Stan..." Dipper was at a loss of words. His great uncle was right. As hard as it would be to have Mabel help, he didn't want to push her away either. They had specifically promised not end up stupid or hate each other that night before all hell broke loose.

"So what's it going to be, champ?"

Dipper fiddled with the charger some more, "You're right. I um...I need to call her. I need to let her decide. I may not like it, but I need to be fair to her."

Stanley grunted in agreement. "Atta boy. Now hate to cut this short but, it's time for us to head out to the next port. I'll give you a call when we arrive; Make sure you two are still alive and all."

"Thanks Gruncle Stan. I mean it," and he really did.

"Alight, alright kiddo. Enough of that sap and hang up already. You're sister's probably half way through chewing her hair out. Give her a call and take care of her, you hear me?" Stan tried to come off as grumpy but his true emotions came through over the phone. 

Dipper let out a chuckle, "Aye aye Gruncle Stan."

"That's Captain Gruncle Stan to you!"

With a small smile and a promise to see each other soon, Dipper hung up. It had felt good to talk to them both again, but now came the moment of truth.

He pushed down on the speed dial button that belonged to his other half and waited. The phone rang twice before a voice started screeching on the other end.

"What the hey hey bro-bro! I leave you for one day and then you decide to go all awol on me? You think it's funny to ignore my texts and calls?" She sounded hurt and she had good reason to be. 

Still, Dipper winced moving the phone away a little to protect his ears. He gave sister a small no and she continued her rant.

"Of course it's not! You had me so worried I was eating glitter again! Glitter Dipper! I haven't don't that in years! I was about to summon Bill, so I could gut his stuffing myself!"

This whole situation was terrible and all because he couldn't handle his own messes. 

Honestly was the best policy in this case.

"Sorry Mabel, I got into another one of my moods..."

"Oh," was all she said and Dipper was glad she immediately understood, "Are you okay?"

Dipper looked down ashamed, "Yeah I am...But did you really have to get our gruncles involved?"

There was a sharp intake of breath, "Of course I did. I was so scared Dipper, but I didn't tell them anything, I promise."

Guilt spread even more on his face, "It's o-okay. I know you didn't. I just got off the phone with them." He could already hear Mabel making a fuss, so he quickly added, "And before you get angry, they called right before I was about to dial you."

That didn't stop his sister from scolding him and pressing the issue further.

"You're not hiding anything from me again are you? What made you go all hermit again? Was it Bill?"

Dipper paused to think about it. Technically it was Bill's fault, but not in the way Mabel was referring to.

"Well...yes and no."

His twin huffed in annoyance, "Dipper..."

"Okay, Okay. I hope you have a while. It's a lot to take in."

"Wait," She shuffled about for a bit and then heard the noisy spring of a mattress compressing as his sister sat down, "Okay I'm ready, but hurry and get to the point Dip-Dop."

"Mabel...I um came across a way to get him a body but-"

A gasp came from the other end.

"That's good right? Buuuuut?"

"Mabel, I can't have you getting hurt and that's what this ritual would require," Dipper had to pause to calm himself down, "He would need you too. I didn't want to take that chance. I spent the last few days trying to find another way, but nothing else was coming up."

Mabel went silent again and adjusted her phone. When she finally she spoke, it was stern, "What do you mean by hurt? Like there's a possibility of me getting hurt or he'd have to hurt me?"

Dipper swallowed hard and his voice cracked as he replied, "The second one...."

...

"How bad is it?" She whispered and it worried him that he had no idea if it was out of fear or curiosity. 

"He'd...he'd need a little bit of your b-blood. Like half a cup of it."

Dipper expected her to yell in disgust or tell him how horrible of a brother he was, but instead all Mabel did was laugh, "That's it? Dipper I can handle that! I know you don't like hearing about my woman problems, but I already do that like once a month."

Women problems? 

Oh 

Ewwww! 

She was talking about _that_!

"Mabel! Thats gross and completely differ-"

"Uh uh uh!" She interrupted, "I don't want to hear it Dipper. If that's all it takes, then let's do it. We can do it when I go this weekend."

Seriously? She wanted to do this? No! He had to tell her the whole truth. Then her decision would count.

“Woah, Mabel calm down. It's not that easy. Bill said there was a list of things that we need before that. Dangerous things."

"Oh…Well then count me in!" She laughed, "Mystery twins back at it!"

Dipper paled as his twin continued to babble on excitedly. She was supposed to say no, but instead she was brushing this off as if it was nothing.

"Why does he need my blood anyways? He’s not going to drink it is he?" She gasped, "Is Bill going to become a hot vampire like in those movies?"

Dipper groaned at that. He hoped not, but he honestly didn’t know the answer either. Man he really should have demanded to hear everything that went on in this ritual before reaching this point. It was pure stubbornness that had made him refuse to listen to any more.

“I-I don’t think so.”

Mabel tsked, “You mean you don’t know?”

Dipper let out an irritated sigh but more at himself than his sister, “Mabel, I wasn’t going to even consider it until I realized I might not have another choice.”

“You weren’t going to consider it? What? Because I had to donate blood?” She said starting to get angry. 

“…”

“Dipper!" 

"Mabel.” he whined back with some petulance.

"No you listen here Dip Dop. I'm tired of you getting to pick and choose what's best for me. I'll be fine and whatever the consequences are, I'll handle it. I'm just as invested in this as you are," he could hear the rustling of her nervously playing with her hair over the phone, "Bill is my problem now too. You don't have to do this alone. That's what twins are for. I want to help you."

No. No! She still didn't understand.

“Mabel, what Bill needs could kill us! I wouldn't be able to forgive-" 

"Dipper! Ugh I already told you this! You don't think I feel the exact same way if something happened to you? If it’s dangerous, then I should be there helping you." 

Dipper swallowed hard. She was right and he still wasn't listening to his Gruncle's advice. He couldn't help it. It was hard and every nerve in his body was telling him not to....but she had agreed to do it. He owed her the chance to make a choice and as scared as he was...he was going to honor it. 

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

He let out a sigh, “Okay Mabel. You can help."

She was quiet for a moment and Dipper could imagine her grinning widely on the other end. Mabel was probably doing a little victory dance too based on the sudden freestyling beat she was beat-boxing over the line.

He started laughing nervously, “Okay you’ve made your point."

She chuckled on her end before adding on, "And you have three points living with you right now."

Dipper groaned at the bad pun, "Well technically it's five now."

"Hey I offered. He refused.”

Huh? That didn’t make sense. He needed to find out more.

"Wait, so you offered to make him a plush toy in the shape of his real self and he said no?"

“Yeah. Weird right? I guess he likes the body _you_ chose for him," She replied slyly.

Dipper heard the implied meaning and felt his face heat up. He stuttered, unable to make a proper rebuttal and Mabel laughed. 

"Hey so other than that. Has Bill been treating you okay? If I have to pull the stuffing out him, let me know."

Dipper rolled his eyes at that even though she couldn't see it, "Nah. He's been oddly quiet about this research binge I've been on. Well except for a little while ago, when he tried to feed me. "

This made her perk up, "What?"

"Yeah he made me a scrambled egg. How strange right?"

A beat passed and suddenly she was in big sister mode. 

"Why is Bill making you food? Dipper were you not eating again?"

Oh shit.

Dipper fumbled with trying to make this better than it sounded, "Uh well not really. It's okay though, I wasn't hungry. Now that I'm back to normal, I'll eat later tonight."

"Wait hold up bro. Bill, the evil chaos triangle, made you an egg and you didn't eat it?" 

Her incredulous tone confused him. 

"Uh yeah?"

Mabel gave a frustrated curse, "Dipper!"

"What?"

What is going on? 

She smacked her forehead o. The other line, "God you're so obtuse. You go eat that egg, talk to your demon roommate about what you need for that ritual, and then get back to me. You hear me?"

"Y-yes m'am!" He stuttered. He wasn't sure why Mabel was being this way but he wasn't going to go against her sudden orders.

"Good."

After that, they talked for a few more minutes in order to say goodbye and eventually hung up. He had to promise over and over again that he wouldn't go so long without calling again. Now that this was settled, he hoped it wouldn't be a problem to keep his word. 

Once the call had ended, Dipper set his phone down to finish charging and headed back to his desk. His eyes roamed over to the abandoned plate of egg and his stomach grumbled at the sight. It was probably cold by now, but he wasn't going to waste it.

He scooted the plate closer to himself and searched around the desk for a utensil.

Crap. 

Bill had forgotten to get him a fork. He'd have to be sure to remind the demon next time...but for now it looked like he was eating finger food now. 

As Dipper embarrassingly licked the egg off his fingers, he was surprised to find that it had been cooked perfectly. Other than how cold it had gotten, he could almost say it was better than his own. Almost. Not that he would ever admit that out loud to the demon inhabiting a toy.

With his stomach still grumbling, Dipper picked up the plate and decided to head down the kitchen to make some more. His hunger had come back in a full vengeance and one egg just wasn't enough. He needed the energy to deal with what was coming next too especially since Dipper wasn't looking forward to it.

When he eventually entered the kitchen, Dipper let out a groan. The whole place was a feeling mess! Egg shells were lying everywhere near the stove and what the hell? How many eggs did Bill go through? The whole fucking carton? 

Dipper spotted the empty dozen container on the table. 

Great. He really had.

Sure enough there were remains of burnt egg in the trash and in the sink, like Bill had tried to dispose and pour it down that way. 

Oh my god, this was going to be a nightmare to clean. Why hadn't Bill at least snapped it away clean when he was done? He was lucky the demon hadn't burned the shack down.

Wait where was Bill?

Dipper looked around and wandered into a few rooms in the house. Even if it would have been easier to find him, Dipper chose not to call out to him. This was odd behavior and he wanted to catch the demon doing whatever it was he was doing. Each room came up empty and eventually there weren't that many options left other than....No!

He ran down to the room that he and Mabel had once fought over. The room he never would have guessed back then belonged to the author.

Fords room. 

The door had been left ajar and immediately a sense of dread came over Dipper. He slammed it open and his fears were unfortunately confirmed. In the center of the room was Bill, floating and pacing above the shag carpet. 

"Bill!"

The loud noise had startled the demon and his eye widened when he saw Dipper. Just as soon as the expression had been there, it was gone and Bill played it off coolly.

"All done Pinetree?"

The reaction took Dipper by surprised and his anger faltered, "Uh yeah...but what are you doing in here? You're not supposed to be in here."

The demon glanced away to the left and shrugged, "Eh, I was wandering around and just happened upon this room. Didn't know it was off limits. Nice organized room you've got here though!"

Dipper frowned. He didn't believe that one bit. He searched around for any discrepancies and noticed that some things were slightly out of place. It made his stomach plummet.

Mabel was right. Bill was keeping the truth from him. He may have wandered in here, but that wasn't really why he was in here.

And for some reason, it made his chest ache. 

"You're...you're lying."

Bill tried to play it off again, but when he noticed Dipper's reaction the demon's face became blank and he didn't reply. 

It all but confirmed Dipper's suspicions. 

"I'm right aren't I? I thought you were going to be truthful!" He swallowed hard, "And you know whose room this is, don't you?"

Bill glared, obviously not liking that he had been found out. 

"Of course," the star spat out bitterly and it made Dipper flinch. It had been a while since Bill treated him this way. Despite this, he refused to back down. 

"So what exactly are you looking for in my uncle's room then?"

Bill continued to stare him down, before he gave off a frustrated growl and threw his small hands in the air.

"Nothing important _Pinetree_!"

Dipper crossed his arms and glared. He didn't appreciate the other's tone and he wasn't going to accept this answer either.

Bill took note of this and his body began flashing in irritation, "Let's just say I looking for something old Sixer might have written down to help solve our human dilemma... I was planning to use it as back up."

Back up? What was Bill talking about? 

"And what back up was that?"

Bill began to tremble and a strained expression crossed his face. Dipper realized he was pushing the demon's buttons, but he didn't care. A deal was a deal and if being direct with the other was the only way to get the truth, then so be it.

The star paced around the room again and for a moment Dipper thought he wasn't going to answer his question. It pissed him off, until Bill's arms sagged in defeat and a resentful eye blinked at him. 

"....An algorithm, but it's no use. It's not here. Fordsy either destroyed it or kept it in his head and never wrote it down."

Dipper swallowed the sudden bitter taste in his mouth, "Yeah and I don’t blame him. After you betrayed him, Ford didn't trust anything or anyone. That's why he hid the journals and why he probably didn't write your spell down either. He even put a plate in his head to keep you out! So of course he knew better than to leave something you would want lying around!"

The words trust no one blared Dipper's mind over and over again. It was a hot and raging feeling that consumed him so that all he wants to do was run away from this spot and never come back. It took everything to stay rooted in this spot. 

Bill was furious too and at one point the brunet thought the demon was going to attack him. It was a stand still and neither of them knew what was going to happen next. 

Then Dipper watched as the star's pupil widened in realization. Bill held his stomach as he convulsed and laughed so mockingly it left the brunet uneasy. 

"Hah! Like _you're_ one to talk about trust! You think _I'm_ doing this to go behind you back? Wrong Pinetree!" The toy then floats over to him and stabs Dipper hard in the chest with an accusing finger, " _You're_ the one who doubts the strength of his own sister and _you're_ the one flaking out on _me_."

Dipper's jaw dropped. Was the asshole being serious? 

He slapped the small arm away and got up all in Bill's face.

"What are you even talking about? I've been doing nothing but researching ways to get you a body this whole time!"

Bill rolled his eye in disbelief but backed away slightly, "Which you found but refuse to use."

Dipper was flabbergasted, "Are you seriously making this about me and accusing me of backing out?"

The demon gave him a look that suggested it was exactly what he was doing.

Dipper didn't know whether to curse at the other or flick him off. How dare he!

"Oh don't act all innocent! As if doubt hasn't been radiating off your body in waves this whole time." Bill emphasized this by running his fingers up Dipper's arm as the doubt was tangible and wiped it off. 

The action made a shiver run down Dipper's spine. It was his turn to pull away and the other grinned at his reaction.

It worked though. The seed of doubt was planted and all Dipper could do was agree with the demon. 

After all, It was true. He had been hesitant. He was doubting this whole operation. Every method Dipper had come across to get Bill a body had been dangerous or damn near impossible. The one they had found was the best possible outcome of them making it out alive, but even then there was no guarantee from what Bill hinted at. He was almost ready to give up too, if it weren't for Mabel convincing him otherwise.

Dipper gripped the sensitive skin on his arm that Bill had touched and squeezed hard. Anything to get rid of the goosebumps the demon had left him with. Of course, he would never admit that out loud or the fact that he honesty felt uneasy about everything in his life right now including the body thing.

_Get your shit together Dipper!_

Bill snapped him out of his thoughts by floating away. There was this sudden urge for Dipper to reach out and bring him back that it shocked him. The brunet immediately squashed the feeling. 

What's was he doing? He was angry at the other dammit!

He wasn't about to back down from this fight easily. 

"Even if I was being indecisive, it doesn't change the fact that you lied." Dipper argued back, trying to distract himself and take the blame off himself as well. 

Instead of turning to face him, Bill busied himself by eyeing what was on Ford's desk a few feet away. 

"Look kid, I'm bound by our deal. Even if every fiber of my being wants to lie, I can't. I really was wandering around the house and came across this room. I didn't lie about that, but I'm sure you already figured it out."

He had.

Dipper took a step forward, wanting to stop Bill from looking at things he wasn't supposed to, but he stopped when he felt the cushion of the plush carpet beneath his shoes. He brought his foot back. The last thing he needed was to risk switching bodies with Bill. 

Although Dipper had s feeling the other wouldn't mind that. He'd take pleasure it it actually.

Why had Ford put it back anyways? It was a disaster waiting to happen. 

Aggravated, Dipper crossed his arms, "That doesn’t make it any better! Mabel told me you would omit the truth. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to trus-"

The star whipped around and interrupted him, "Trust me? Listen to yourself Pinetree. Don't be _naive_. You know what happens to people who deal with me. You said so yourself. Yet you want to trust _me_. You're wasting your efforts!"

Dipper's face became hot as the words hit him like a slap to the face. 

Even though he knew that Bill was the last person he could trust....yes Dipper had honesty wanted to. He knew better than to do so, but he also wanted to understand Bill. Most importantly, he wanted Bill to trust him. 

Obviously that was not the case.

Dipper had taken pride of the fact that he had formed a decent relationship with almost every creature in Gravity Falls. Sometimes without even trying, he managed learn why the anomalies in the town did the things they did. 

With Bill, he never understood what motivated the demon  
to almost plague the world in a weirdness apocalypse. 

Chewing on his lip, Dipper decided to admit the truth this time, "Even if I am, I still want to."

Bill's eye widened in shock for a brief moment, before he became outraged and his voice deepened, "Now whose the one telling lies?"

Dipper felt his heart seize up in his throat in fear and he had to swallow it down. 

"I-I mean it Bill," he started softly, "I do want to trust you, but you're not making it easy. I don't care if you're a demon. Even someone like you is capable of keeping their word."

Bill stared and moved in again to invade his space. Small hands grip Dipper by the collar and they are eye-to-eye. 

Dipper's resolve wavered for second before he realized he was been tested. The brunet does everything in his power to convey his heated emotions in just his hazel stare...

And...

Apparently the demon sees something he doesn't likes because Bill shoves him away with a snarl of disgust. Again Dipper watches as the star floats away and heads back to the table.

“B-Bill?" 

The demon doesn’t answer and instead picks up the glass pyramid from Ford’s desk. Bill plays with it in his hands for a moment before bringing it to the afternoon light shining from the window. A brilliant rainbow of colors reflects off the surface and bounces off the walls of the abandoned room. It's mesmerizing of course, but why Bill does this is a mystery to him. 

The star gives a low hum before speaking, “You don't understand the extent of what you’re saying Pinetree. I’m a being of pure madness and chaos. I had old Sixer’s trust in the palms of my hands and I squashed it like a bug," Bill lifted his right hand and clenched it closed to emphasize his point, "It drove him insane. What makes you think I won’t do the same to you kid?"

It was a fair question and the male twin wasn't sure how to answer it.

“...I don’t know,” Dipper trailed off and stared at the glass pyramid in Bill’s hands, “But I know you’re capable of it. You got Ford to trust you after all."

The demon let out a huff of amusement, “The man worshipped the air I floated on. That’s no grand feat. It was all a part of my devilish charm."

It was true. It was oddly creepy how much of the shack was covered in small representations of the dream demon. Even the shrine in the basement was something to be ashamed of. 

“Then how am I supposed to do what you want if I can’t trust you?”

A long stretch of silence filled the air and all Dipper could hear was his heart beating in his ears. 

“You don’t," Bill said with a serious tone, "And I would take heed of those very words.”

The male twin sucked on his teeth and lowered his gaze towards his sneakers. Once again he couldn’t get the demon to open up. He was failing miserably at getting Bill to be an ally rather than an enemy. It was frustrating for some reason and he didn’t know why he cared, but he did.

“You know,” Bill interrupted his thoughts, "I remember the day that Ford bought this. That genius had the stupidest grin on him too, saying something about how it reminded him of his favorite band.”

Bill tossed the object to Dipper and he caught it, fumbling it in his hands and almost shattering it on the floor. The brunet was about to shout something along the lines of being careful with his Gruncle's stuff, but the words fell short. 

The pyramid landed face down in his grasp and he noticed something scratched at the bottom of it. It was as if Ford had tried to destroy the letters engraved beneath, but had failed to create a dent in it. It wasn't too hard though to make out the message that had once been thoughtfully placed there. 

'To a true friend and partner  
-Ford'

Dipper’s heart suddenly hammered in his chest. He knew that his great uncle Ford had been friends with Bill, but the gift in his hands was an intimate testament to that time. 

Now that it served as a warning to Dipper. Well, It unnerved him.

The brunet glanced back at the star floating a few feet away, who was watching him. The look he had was distant, perhaps still fondly lingering back to the day the pyramid became his. Dipper had no clue, but the demon snapped out of it and seemed wary at what the twin would say next.

Dipper didn't say anything yet. He wasn't done analyzing what this meant. 

Was this Bill’s way of being honest with him? Don’t trust me because you’ll only end up like him? 

The star didn’t have to share this story with him, but he did anyways just to warn him. Maybe he was opening up? 

“I get it,” Dipper responded shortly, as he walked over to the desk to place the pyramid back in its spot on the table. He took extra care to avoid stepping on the carpet. 

He really did get it.

It’s not that Bill wasn't capable of trust. He just didn’t want Dipper to. Somehow that stung more than he wanted to admit it did.

“About time you- “

Dipper stopped him by holding out up a hand and shaking his head, “I get that you don’t think you deserve any trust, but that doesn’t change how I feel. I may not be able to trust you now, or in a week, maybe not even a hundred percent ever, but I still want to. I’m not like Ford. I know what you are. I also get that you don’t trust me, so I’m going to do everything I can so that you do…” he trailed off not sure of how he wanted to say what he needed to next.

Instead, he watched as the star in front of him went through a myriad of emotions before settling on disgust, “Yeesh what’s with you meat sacks and your needy desires to spew whatever nonsense that soggy mess of a brain comes up with? I've seen what humans keep up there and let me tell you it's not pretty. I'd do anything to unsee it and undo whatever that was you just said."

Bill was back to grinning with his eye, satisfied with his topic change and waiting for some sort of comment from the brunet.

Dipper on the other hand was exasperated. He didn't know why he thought talking with the demon would lead to anything good. It was like talking to a child some times. 

The brunet rolled his eyes and proceeded to walk out of the room with a mental note to come back and search it later. Maybe he could find what the dream demon had been looking for. 

"Pinetree?"

Dipper stopped and turned his head towards the other, "I'm going to my room. You give me a headache. Also, clean up your mess in the kitchen." 

The headache wasn't completely a lie, but Dipper still ran with it and headed towards the stairs. More than likely it was from neglecting his body and hunger.

The twin was too tired to care. Maybe he could order a pizza later. First Dipper was going to take a nap. At least that was his goal until he felt the star zoom past him and block his path. Bill was determined with his arms spread out wide.

Dipper sighed. 

Now what?

"Alright fine. Do whatever you want, _trust_ me. I don't care, it's your demise. But would you quit with the dramatics? You think I enjoy these bouts of moodiness? I'd rather split my own molecules apart one by one, than go on another day of you pouting up there." 

Dipper crossed his arms and grimaced, "I'm not pouting and for your information I've come to my decision."

At this Bill raised a brow doubtfully, "Oh did you now?"

"Yeah," he gathered up the courage to say it, "L-let's do it. I was going to tell you that before, you know, when I was talking about trusting you. Of course, you had to go on one of your stupid rants and ruin the moment. It's like you love hearing yourself talk. It pisses me off."

The star doubled over chuckling 

"What can I say? You don't get to live a trillion years without stepping on some...well toes in your case." Bill shrugged, "So you'll do it? What about Shooting Star?"

The male twin swallowed at the thought again, but pushed his fears aside, "She'll help too."

The star gleefully rubbed his hands together and before motioning to the room, "Then shall we?"

Dipper didn't move, "When I said I was going to my room, I didn't mean for you to follow."

"Too bad. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not," Bill placed his hands on his sides, " Besides, I need to show you what we're up against. You didn't give me the chance to explain everything before you rudely bolted out."

He chose to ignore the last part for both their sakes. So they'd be going to the mindscape again so soon? Well it would be nice to take a nap. Still Dipper decided to be defiant a little longer. Payback time. 

"Who said I was ready for bed? It's barely seven."

Bill stared. Clearly he didn't not expect this answer. He raised his small pointer finger in protest but nothing came out of him. Then the usual glare appeared. 

Sometimes Dipper wondered what the star's thought process was like.

He was about to revel in his success of stumping the demon, when his own damn body betrayed him. A yawn slipped from his lips and Dipper did not like the knowing look the other responded with.

"I beg to differ and so does that meat sack of yours," Bill said all too cheerily. 

Dammit. Dipper thought he had won this one. With a slump of his arms, the twin trudged up the stairs and into his bedroom, 

"Fine but just a nap."

To make sure of this, he fell onto the bed face down with clothes and all. This would guarantee to wake him in a hour or so from over heating. It usually did the trick. Blindly, Dipper reached for the pillow and then remembered he didn't have one. Again. 

Ugh.

Maybe he could make a deal to get his old one back. 

When Dipper couldn't breath, he turned his head to see the demon staring at a spot on his desk. What was with him and desks all of a sudden? 

"Did you throw it away?"

The question had come out soft and curious. Almost disappointed really. How strange. Except Dipper had no clue what the demon was talking about.

Bill seemed to guess this, "The egg, kid."

Oh 

Ohhhh

"No I ate it. I wanted more but you used the last of it," Dipper mumbled out. Exhaustion was spreading through his body and he was about to pass out any second.

Bill hummed in agreement that he indeed had, "You eat more than one?"

The brunet felt his eye lids slipping closed, "Yeah usually two...or three. There's also...also more than one way toooooo m-make them."

A yawn escaped him again and this time Dipper curled up and shut his eyes. Bill could continue this conversation in the mindscape for all he cared. 

Something soft barely dipped the bed above his head and pressed against his hair. It was comfy like a pillow and the brunet reached up to pull it closer to rest part of his face on it. The pillow made a weird "ooomph" noise as Dipper sunk into it. 

Hmm...

A part of him that is barely awake blames Bill for doing something to his pillow and another small part of him thinks it needs to be replaced. Either way, at least the demon was nice enough to let him borrow it for now. 

How nice...

That was his last thought before his conscious slipped away.

\---------

When the hard floors of the mindscape were under his feet, Dipper realized something was different. He was back in his usual spot by the statue, and the structure of the atrium hadn't changed....maybe it was because he was facing the purple hall this time?

No that wasn't it, but now that he thought of the color, it seemed to permeate into the area he was in. 

It wasn't coming from the room though...

Dipper looked up and found the real source of it. Up in the starry sky above him, were various shades of color that had never been there before. Beautiful novas of pinks and purples shone brightly at him and Dipper wished he could touch them. 

He could get lost in a sight like this. 

Too bad Bill was probably wondering when he'd walk into the yellow library...

...

Fuck it.

Dipper squatted all the way down and leaned back to slowly lay down on the floor. The brunet had expected the ground to feel hard and cold beneath him but oddly it wasn't.

Maybe it was because he had hoped it wouldn't and it changed?

Dipper settled his hands behind his head and gazed at the stars above. Nothing looked familiar to the ones back in the waking world so he couldn't stargaze in his usual sense. Still, the sight was better than an one in the real world. 

Idly he wondered the cause of the new colors.

After these few stressful days, it felt nice to relax like this. It wasn't as nice compared to actual sleeping, but it was the next best thing.

Of course it didn't last too long. A familiar triangle slid into view above him, appearing to be completely irked. Bill refused to meet his eyes and something told Dipper he was troubled. 

"What do you think you're doing Pinetree? Do I need to teleport you into the room from now on?"

Dipper frowned. He was not a child and didn't like being treated like one. 

"No you don't. Besides, I was just admiring the view," he retorted and immediately he knew what Bill was going to say next. His frowned deepened.

Immediately he wanted to take it back.

Sure enough the demon's eye morphed into one of a gleeful one, "Is that a compliment? Sure sounds like one! You're not a bad view your-"

The brunet groaned loudly. Yup. He had walked himself into that one. Dipper freed an arm to try and swat the demon away, but Bill only moved further up and away from his grasp. 

With a tut, the triangle turned to face the galaxies above. Bill reached out and swayed an arm across the sky. Like a pool of water, the mesmerizing colors rippled away into bleak nothingness.

How sad...

"That was a fluke. You won't be seeing that any time ever again," Bill said a little curtly. It was as if the brilliance above had offended him somehow.

"How come?" Dipper dared to ask out loud. He had personally liked seeing it and knowing it wouldn't come back was disappointing. 

Bill waved it off, "Enough questions or did you already forget why we came here?"

Hmph.

As if Dipper could forget.

"Right."

He pushed himself off the ground with a grunt, until he was sitting up. Two small hands appeared in his line of vision and Dipper looked up. Bill was offering to help him up.

He almost wanted to ask if this was a trick, but then he noticed how serious the other was right now. 

Maybe..

Timidly, Dipper reached out for the hands and clasped them in his. They were oddly warm for something that wasn't human and the brunet felt his fingers tingle.

Bill grew to twice his size and pulled him up to a standing position. He almost ran into the demon from the force that was over estimated. As if Bill thought he was heavier than he looked. Luckily, Dipper stopped himself and instead swayed in place until he could steady himself. 

Then it became awkward. 

Bill was staring down at their intwined hands and didn't let go. There was a bit of intrigue in his expression and Dipper felt his right hand be squeezed. 

He was about to jerk his hands away from this strange development, but the demon released them on his own and shrunk in size. 

Without another word or comment on what just happened, Bill inverted to face the yellow room and floated away towards it.

Dipper took in a shuddering breath and tried make sense of the situation. 

What had that been about? Why had Bill squeezed his hand?

Nope. 

Going down a forbidden road there and he did not want to think about it. The demon was acting weird and that was that. 

Wait.

Weirder than how he usually does, he mentally corrected himself.

It was kind of creeping him out, but at the same time he liked that Bill never ceased to surprise him...

Dipper wasted no time after that to follow the yellow triangle into their familiar study area. Bill continued to be quiet and lost in thought, and the brunet decided it was best not to interrupt him.

A book in a shelf next to them came off the shelf and hovered towards Bill. Then there was booming clap of hands coming together and a white projector screen appeared in front of them.

"Listen up Pinetree. As you are aware, this is going to be highly dangerous. Not impossible, but if we're not careful, you or Shooting Star may die." 

Grimly, Dipper nodded.

Bill's eye grew in size and a beam of blue light projected onto the screen. Meanwhile, the book next to the demon flipped open and turned a few pages.

"The ritual requires two twins, but not just any twins. One that represents the heart and the other the mind," As Bill said this, a picture of his sister and himself appeared on the screen, "But that's not all. The ritual requires a special potion and a spell to take effect."

Images of what the demon was talking about flashed briefly before them, "The spell will be as easy as stealing time punch from a drunk. The potion on other hand will need us to brew ingredients that aren't easy to come by." 

The pages flipped by violently towards its new place, "We will need five magical items: Mystical river water, A dragon's egg, unicorn hair, pixie dust, and an exotic shell. This may sound easy, but believe me kid, the creatures guarding some of those things can kill you," Bill's tone lacked any of the humor it usually had and Dipper had no doubt everything he said was true.

Still, after hearing what needed to be retrieved, his throat clenched. As exciting as some of the items were going to be for his novel research, he also didn't want to die. 

"Y-you'll help too right?"

Bill closed his eye for a brief moment and the screen flickered, "As much as that pathetic shaped vessel will let me."

"I- um...okay." Dipper mumbled, unable to form sentences at the moment. He had almost feared the demon would say no, "You said you needed, Mabel's blood for the ritual. What do you need from me?"

Bill was thoughtful for a moment, various images projected into the air at once in a vicious scramble. 

Dipper couldn't make sense of any of it and staring at it made him dizzy. This must be the way the demon processed thought and information.

"We'll need something close in contact with your mind," Bill finally spoke, sounding a bit unsure, "A part of your brain? No...that would impair or kill you. A memory? An emotion?"

At this point the projections stopped and the demon brought a hand to rub under his eye. Bill tapped his foot in mid air and oddly it still made a sound as if he was on the floor.

Dipper meanwhile tried to come up with something that wouldn't require losing a part of himself. The brunet scratched at his head and wished he had a pen to chew on. It would definitely help with his thinking...

As a pen proofed into existence, an idea hit him. 

Hah!

Maybe the answer was under his finger tips this whole time! He gripped at his chocolate strands and hoped for the best.

"What about hair? Those grow close to the mind!" Dipper exclaimed.

Bill's pupil blew in size and then looked smug, "Just what a twin with the power of cerebral potential would say. Pinetree, that might just work. We can test it when the time comes."

A surge of pleasure flowed through Dipper's veins at that. Bill, a demon of infinite knowledge had complimented him. Wow that felt good.

"Knowing what you do now, are you still in?"

Dipper took a deep breath and grasped the pen still floating in front of him. He clicked it twice for good measure.

"Yeah."

Bill leaned in and reached forward slowly to place a finger on the end of the pen, over Dipper's thumb. He pushed down gently for the both of them. 

"Good, because we start tomorrow."

The pressure on his finger lifted and another resounding click echoed in the air. Like a switch, the world around him faded to black and Dipper woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot plottens. Jk hahaha. So writing Stan and Ford made me so nervous. I really hope I wrote them well because I love them so much. You can't make me choose between them. Then the conflict between Bill and Dipper had me stumped for a week on how to write it perfectly. Even then I'm just ugh with it lol. 
> 
> Regardless, I really hope you're enjoying the fic so far. More excitement and shippiness to come soon. As always, thanks to all who comment and kudo. You all are the best and encourage me to write! <3's to all of you!


	11. Ford's Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper begin their hunt for the objects they need to make Bill's body. Little does Dipper expect is to find a huge secret as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man am I excited for you to read this chapter. It got so long I had to cut it in two in order to get this out on time. Here comes more fluff and adventure, so I hope you're ready~

It started off as a light pressure at the top of his head. The feeling was uncomfortable, but not enough to pull him from his dreams just yet. Then the gentle prodding became more insisting. This was what eventually nudged Dipper into the waking world. 

Blearily, Dipper blinked awake and turned onto his back. The feeling of his body over heating, sweaty, and gross registered somewhere in his mind. It was just as he had planned. 

Also, whatever had been pressing on him stopped. Which was good, but the feeling of something in his hair persisted. 

Wait.

Dipper shifted positions again and looked up to find a scowling eye peering down at him. 

This time, it wasn't a gentle push, but rather a rough shove that slammed against his skull. It was a force that hurt enough to make Dipper grunt in displeasure. 

It was also just the right amount of shock his system needed to realize exactly what the current situation was.

Oh no.

He was on Bill and the demon was trying to pull away.

He had slept on Bill. 

Holy crap. 

Immediately Dipper sat up and felt his face heat up in embarrassment. What was _he_ doing in his bed? Why did he look so pissed off? 

Dipper should be the pissed off one! 

This was his bed dammit!

"W-what do you think you're doing?" Dipper shouted. It came out sounding more like he was humiliated rather than angry. 

His hands reached for brown locks to make sure the demon hadn't removed his scalp in his sleep or worse.

Thankfully that wasn't the case.

"Me?" Bill responded as if he was being falsely accused, "You leaked disgusting mouth fluids all over me!"

Now Dipper was mortified. 

Upon closer inspection, there was a wet spot on one of Bill's star points. Right near his bowtie. 

And now that he was aware of this, Dipper could feel the stickiness of leftover drool all over his cheek. 

He groaned, slightly wishing he had died instead of waking up to this.

Anything so that he wouldn't have to deal with this.

He reached up to wipe it away with the back of his arm and cringed. 

Ew disgusting. 

He couldn't believe he had actually drooled, much less the fact that it had ended up all over his childhood enemy. 

Shame burned his cheeks, but Dipper refused to take all the blame.

"Look um," he struggled a bit for words before continuing, "I'm sorry about that, but what were you doing there anyways?" 

Bill crossed his arms and continued to glare. His body glowed in rapid angry bursts as he spoke, "You think I did that _willingly_ ? I was checking to see if you were asleep moron. I needed to know the exact moment you did, so we could meet in the mindscape. I was doing just that when _you_ grabbed _me_!"

What? 

The memories of a few hours ago came flooding back. The twin remembered thinking that the star had let him use his pillow, but instead...well now he understood what had really happened.

Dipper scowled. This was the absolute worst. No. The worst part was that Bill had been warm and comfy. He had actually enjoyed sleeping on the damn jerk enough to drool. 

The demon made a sound of disgust and the brunet looked up to see what he was doing. Bill was helplessly trying to rub off the stain and failing miserably.

Yeah. That's what this was. This whole situation was miserable.

"Don't just sit there! How am I supposed to get this off?" the plush toy snarled at him. 

And oh boy. If looks could kill, Dipper was sure he'd be dead right now.

He lifted both his hands up in defense:

"Okay, okay. Let me see what we can do," He contemplated aloud. He mentally listed his options for a minute, before a thought stuck him. 

Dipper was still too horrified at what had just happened to fully appreciate it, but the idea still made him smirk.

"I could throw you in the washer. That's an option."

Immediately visions of the star plush comically spinning in a wash cycle in pure anger crossed his mind. Dipper had to hold back a laugh.

The wash wasn't a bad idea, but he highly doubted the demon would go for it. 

Sure enough, Bill's body language changed to convey his suspicion, "The washer?"

The question had Dipper wondering if the other was against the idea or if the other had no idea what it was. To be clear, he decided to ask anyways.

"You _do_ know what a washing machine is right?"

At this Bill bristled. He looked like he was one stupid remark away from burning the whole shack down.

Okay. Okay.

Jeeze.

So the demon doesn't like having his intelligence questioned. 

Point made.

"Of course I do! That's the machine humans use to clean their clothes," The star rolled his arms, mimicking what a washer does. Then his face became down right petulant, "But I'm not just some cheap piece of fabric!"

Well technically...

No. Dipper decided it was best not to piss off the already angry demon even more. 

Instead he opted to try another angle.

Pfffft angle. 

"It's not just for clothes, you know? You can wash other things in there. Mabel used to wash her toys in there some times...Uh...It's not easy to explain. It's better if I just show you." 

Dipper moved off the bed and pulled on a black hoodie and some shorts for decency sake. When he was finished, he motioned for the other to follow, "It's something everyone does, so count it as human training."

Bill grumbled a few choice words at that but reluctantly followed Dipper anyways. 

The brunet led them down the squeaky steps and into the laundry room. With a flip of a switch, the lights flickered on to the room he barely used all those summers ago. Dipper made his way to stand in front of the twin machines that were there.

Hopefully they still worked.

"Alright, so that's the washer and the one next to it is the dryer," Dipper began to explain. He went into detail on how to load the machine, pour the detergent, and set the correct spin cycle. He was actually quite proud of his instructions.

Any sane person who knew him would never, under any circumstances, ask him how to do laundry.

After all, this was himself he was talking about. Yes, _the_ Dipper Pines. The guy who was guilty of going months before washing clothes. The same guy who often said aloud, 'Washing clothes is a waste of time and I'm a busy guy.'

Not that he was going to admit that out loud now. Especially when Bill was taking his words very seriously and watching him with some strange sort of fascination.

"I see, but wouldn't this work better as a torture device?" the demon mused after a brief pause in instruction, "Seems like a huge waste of terrible potential to only use it to clean."

Dipper rolled his eyes. No wonder Bill had been interested. He _would_ take something as innocent as a machine and turn it into something of his own sick imagination.

The demon caught his expression, "Come on Pinetree! Can you imagine what something small and alive could go through in there! I need to try this for myself!"

What? 

No no no. He needed to stop that train of thought right there!

He absolutely couldn't allow it...

...

Well....

To be fair, Dipper had been joking about putting Bill in there while he was inhabiting the vessel. He hadn't really expected the star to actually want to. Was he was seriously considering it?

He had to be absolutely sure.

"Uh Bill? You sure about that? I don't think-"

Bill cleared his throat and interrupted, "Pinetree. You seem to be under the impression that I'm asking you to do this. I'm not. I'm telling you to."

Dipper gaped at him. There was no questioning that business like tone of voice.

He really wanted this.

Dipper huffed before stating the obvious, "You've lost your damn mind."

And Bill laughed at him, in a way that sounded batshit crazy. 

"Of course I did! Can't say I miss either!" He continued giggling at his own joke as he floated into the washer and settled at the bottom, "Now, load me in Pinetree!"

This guy was way too excited over this. It was almost endearing. Almost.

Dipper was hesitant at first, slowly pouring a little detergent and taking his time to close the lid. He tried every method to give the demon a chance to opt out, but stubborn he remained. 

Even when the washer had kicked on and began to fill with water, Dipper had sat on the machine to wait. 

Any second now there would be banging and pleas to stop...

Right about now...

They never came.

Well, he reasoned, Dipper couldn't help crazy. He shouldn't be worried anyways. After all, if the demon really wanted out, he could just abandon the vessel at any time. 

He had better things to stress about than a deranged demon.

In fact, it was nice to kick his legs in the air and have some quiet time to himself again. 

The washer was old and probably a piece of junk, so this gave Dipper some time to kill. He had maybe forty-five minutes of alone time to enjoy....Forty five minutes...he could use to do something productive....like use it to search Ford's room! 

Yes!

Now was the perfect time to try and find whatever Bill had looking for! 

Honeslty, it was probably his best and only chance. Knowing Bill, he would immediately be suspicious if he caught Dipper in there now. 

He couldn't risk that. Not when he didn't know exactly what he was up to. 

Decided, the brunet leapt off the washer and landed on his feet. He staggered a bit from exhaustion, but slowly began to make his way out the laundry room. As he headed towards his great uncle's room, a loud growl erupted from his stomach. 

Shit.

He forgot about food. 

Pressed for time, Dipper considered skipping eating for now, but a sharp pain made him double over in pain.

Yeah. Maybe any other time he could have gotten away with it, but after starving himself for days, this wasn't going to work.

The Pines man pulled out his phone to look at the time. It was almost nine at night....

The pizza he had been craving earlier sounded really good about now.

But was it too late to order? 

Gruncle Stan never really did delivery food that often when they were kids. When Mabel and he always complained, his response was always the classic, 'What do I look like to you? Like I'm made out of money?'

The few rare instances when Stan had been generous enough to get them a treat, the old man had been the one to order. Therefore, Dipper had no idea what time the only place in town closed. Even if it was open, he didn't want to be one of those late last minute callers....

His stomach protested with another growl. 

Fuck it. 

Dipper pulled out his wallet and headed to the kitchen to look at the magnets on the fridge. He knew one of them had the number to the pizza parlor. 

After scanning the thing up and down, he caught the familiar triangular pizza. It was cartoony with arms and legs with a cheesy smile. The number was printed on a sign it was holding. 

Dipper smirked. He'd take this triangle in his home any day over the one being tumbled delicately a few feet away. 

He pulled out his phone and punched in the number, hoping the place hadn't changed their number in the last couple years. Luck seemed to be on his side, because they answered immediately. 

Once Dipper placed his order for a medium meat lovers, he hung up and walked over to Ford's room again. 

According to the delivery guy, he had 30 minutes before he arrived. So that meant he had to search quickly. 

Except, once he had opened the door, Dipper realized he had no idea where to begin. 

Maybe the filing cabinets? 

No too obvious. 

After debating it a little, Dipper settled on trying the desk first. He opened drawers and searched for hidden compartments, but nothing came up.

When he scaled the bathroom, the shelves, and even knocked on walls in case there was a secret room. 

Nothing

By this point, he was pulling out his hair. 

How was Great Uncle Ford so good at hiding stuff!? No one in their right mind would have ever guessed that the vending machine would lead to an elevator to an underground lab. Ford hid his journals so well, it had been pure luck that Dipper had stumbled across the tree that held the lever.

He has long come to the conclusion that if Ford didn't want something to be found, it was going to be in the least obvious place ever.

He needed to sit and think about this for a moment. Well, he'd sit and dive his fingers in between the seat cushions as he thought. He had to stay productive.

Predictably, just lint and loose change came up. 

Hmm...

Dipper had to be smarter about this. He had to find some sort of clue or connection....

The brunet laid on his back and kicked up his legs over the top of the futon so that he was sitting upside down. It was a habit Mabel had gotten him into ever since that Pioneer Day conspiracy hunt. 

Not only did it help him think a little better, he also used it as an opportunity to search under the futon. His arm went under as far as it could and blindly he trailed his fingers everywhere he could touch. 

When his hand got caught in a dusty spider web, Dipper yelped and recoiled his arm in disgust. He ended up hitting the wooden floorboard below with a hollow thunk as he tried to get the sticky substance off his fingers. 

With a groan, Dipper cradled his throbbing hand against his chest. 

What the hell?

That had hurt, but the pain wasn't what concerned him. Out of all the sounds the floor could have made, that was the last one he had expected. 

Wait.

Dipper surged back into a upright position with a gasp. 

The floor had produced a _hollow_ noise. 

He looked down at the carpet that, under no circumstances, should have been placed back in its original spot. That is, unless it was being used to switch bodies...or to hide something. 

It all made perfect sense now! 

He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about it before. Where had he found journal number three? Underground. Where had the secret lab and portal been? Underground. He had a bunker for damn sake! It should have been obvious from the get go that if Ford had anything to hide, he would do it somewhere underneath!

He had to be right about this!

Immediately, Dipper got up and carefully made his way to one end of the carpet. He started to roll it up eagerly and as he did, he carefully inspected the wood beneath it. 

Sure enough, there was something inconsistent. 

Holy crap! 

One of the long planks of wood was slightly discolored and when he knocked on it, the sound was hollow. 

This had to be the one!

Dipper dug his nails in the gaps between the planks, trying to claw out the board. He even slid all the way down the floorboard to try and find some secret method of prying it loose. There just didn't appear to be any way to lift it.

Fuck. 

Of course Great Uncle Ford had to make everything difficult. 

Dipper pushed himself off the floor and began looking in drawers. He need something to use as a lever. In the top right drawer, he found the perfect tool. A bent and scratched up flat head. 

The male twin scrambled back to the panel and stuck it in a gap. Without a struggle, the flat head pulled up the board and it came loose.

Success!

Dipper looked wasted no time inspecting his new discovery. Underneath was a hastily built pit only big enough to hide some thing the size of his foot. 

Except.

Whatever Dipper had expected to find, it had not been this. 

He had to choke back a scream because-

No it couldn't be. 

There was no possible way.

How could it be?

Another journal!?

Shaking, Dipper reached for the familiar burgundy colored book and pulled it out. It was dirty as hell and the twin had to wipe the gravel and dust off of it with his hand. 

He felt all the blood on his face drain when, under all of the grime, the cover reflected a golden triangle instead of the usual six fingers

No. 

Dipper couldn't tell if this was better or worse than another journal. If this was what he thought it was, and it was highly likely, then he just came across a bomb shell. 

His heart began to pound erratically as he opened it. 

He almost dropped oh because he was shaking so hard.

What Dipper sees on the first page confirms everything.

Written neatly in Ford's handwriting was the name 'Bill Cipher' and underneath that was a drawing of the triangle with the zodiac around it.

All thoughts left the brunet, as he was so consumed by what was in front of him. He quickly flipped the page, just in case this was all a cruel joke. 

It wasn't.

On the second page was an introduction to the demon.

...

"It has been almost a month since I first encountered creature number 326," Dipper began to read out loud, "He calls himself Bill Cipher. When I first summoned this strange being into this world, he haunted my dreams for weeks. I was being watched by this triangle God, until one fateful night."

The brunet poured into the page, as it continued to describe what Ford had told him the night they used Project Mentem to block Bill's influence. 

The words continued to slip from his lips, "Bill has been nothing but the friendliest fellow I've ever come across in my stay at Gravity Falls. There is so much to learn about this interesting character and so much I've learned already.

"Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that a page in the other journals is simply not enough room to explain the mystery that is known as Bill Cipher. The following pages are my findings."

Impatiently, Dipper flipped through multiple pages, scanning words here and there. 

He found that Ford would randomly jot down notes on a page and then discuss in great detail what he thought it meant a few pages down. His Gruncle mentioned everything  
He possibly could. From their meetings, their growing friendship, even the portal. It goes all the way to the point where he discovered how to get rid of Bill.

It was terrifying to see how the once calm and beautiful cursive eventually became hectic and sporadic towards the end. 

The downfall of their relationship...

Dipper shut the book for a moment to think clearly.

Had this really been what Bill was looking for? What kind of spell could possibly be in here that the demon would need?

Dipper's thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang insistently. It was a number he didn't recognize, but he's pretty sure that it meant the pizza guy is here.

Quickly, he answered the call and reassured the guy that he was on his way to the door. 

As much as he didn't want to move from this spot, Dipper got up and tucked the journal in his hoodie's pocket. 

He passed the laundry room to check and see that the machine was still going. It looked like it was almost done.

Then he finally arrived at the door. 

When he opens it, a familiar face greeted him.

"Hey, didn't know someone was living here again," the pizza man laughed, "That's cool. I remember you. You're that great nephew of Mr. Mystery, right?"

Dipper regarded the uniformed man in front of him and then finally recognized him, "Yeah that's me. Dipper Pines. Aren't you the dude who used to wear the free pizza shirt?"

The bearded man in front of him cracked a smile, "You remember? Oh man, what an honor." He leaned in a little closer, as if he had something to hide and whispered, "My boss gets super pissed, but don't tell anyone..." 

At this the man pulled seat and lifted his shirt, revealing his trademark free pizza shirt underneath. The big guy gave him a thumbs up and winked. 

At that Dipper laughed and retuned the gesture. "That's awesome man," he said as reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet.

That's when the delivery guy shook his head and waved it off, "Don't worry about it bro. I've got it this time."

Dipper faltered, "What? Come on, you don't have to do that. Won't you get in trouble?"

"Nah, I only work here part-time to get the hook up, but my boss would understand. You saved my life man," the pizza guy shuddered in front of him, "I would still be part of a stone throne it wasn't for the Pines family. It's the least I can do to repay you."

Dipper looked down at his hands, unsure of what to say to that. How could he turn that down?

Fumbling for words of gratitude, a thought struck him, "Thanks man. Can I at least tip you?" 

The bearded guy thought about it before shrugging, "If you want, but don't feel obligated to tip me the price of the pizza. That would defeat the point."

He nodded at the other man and pulled out a fiver to hand him in exchange for the pizza. 

Hopefully that was a good enough tip.

Once the warm box was in his hands, he thanked the delivery man again and made his way back inside. His thoughts continued to linger on the exchange that had just happened.

At some point the special treatment had to end right? 

Dipper set the pizza down on the kitchen table to get a drink in the fridge. Just as he was rummaging in the fridge, a loud constant beep let him know that the washer was done.

Hah 

This would be interesting.

Time to see how the asshole wad feeling after spinning around that much. 

Dipper put off the search for a can of cola and closed the refrigerator door. As he made his way into the laundry room, Dipper adjusted the book in his hoodie self consciously. 

What if Bill saw right through him and asked about it? 

He really hoped not.

Pulling back his sleeves, the brunet opened the washer lid and stuck his arm in there. The demon made a small grunt at being grabbed, but didn't put up a huge resistance.

That was odd. At first he thought he imagined the grunt and Bill had left the body after all. 

No. That wasn't the case. When he pulled up the star to face him, dangling almost upside down from a corner, Dipper understood why.

Bill's eye was unfocused and spinning from dizziness.

Dipper choked back a laugh. 

"Did you have fun?"

The demon tried to glare, but it came off weak.

"A blast! Now put me down," Bill said a little forcefully. His eye seemed to focus and come back to normal. 

Dipper almost didn't want to let go. It was interesting getting to touch the demon like this, but he did it for his own sanity. That and the star toy was soaked and dripping all over him. He closed the washer lid and righted Bill up to place him on top of the machine on his legs. 

Bad idea.

Like a drunk, Bill swayed back and forth unsteadily. "Woah ho ho. Did Gravity just get ten times heavier or is this weak vessel defective now?"

Unable to take his weight in water, the star ended up falling on its back with a wet smack. 

Bill even had the gall to glare at him as if it was all Dipper's fault.

"No, it's not," Dipper rolled his eyes, "You're just soaked in water. We need to get all that liquid out of you and dry you off."

Bill made no effort to get back up and raised a brow, "And how long will that take?"

Dipper chewed on his cheek. He'd never washed and dried toys before. He wasn't about to check if Bill had a tag somewhere on his body with instructions either.

"Well, most clothes go in the dryer which does the tumbling thing as well. The difference is, the machine uses burning hot air to dry you."

Bill's eye widened at that, "Then what are you waiting for? Stick me in Pinetree! That sounds even more torturous than this last one and I'm ready to burn!"

The brunet let out a snort at that.

It was highly possible that the synthetic stuff in the plush would end up catching fire. And as funny as that would be, Dipper didn't want to risk it. Bill would probably kill him and he also didn't want to burn down the Mystery Shack.

He decided to be truthful about it. 

Surely the demon would understand. 

"Uh that's exactly why I shouldn't do that. You could burst into flames."

Bill lit up at this, "Even better!"

That was not the answer he wanted hear. 

Dipper didn't know why he even expected anything better from the demon.

With a groan, Dipper had to result to leveling with the crazy being, "Look man. That's really not the best idea. You burn, then you won't have a body. You'll be out of luck too, because I'm not making you a new one."

The star pouted up at him, "You're no fun."

"You can call me whatever you want," he explained while crossing his arms, "It doesn't change the fact that I'm going to hang you out to dry."

The star pushed himself up to a sitting position and looked a little confused, "I already float. What would be the point in hanging?" 

Ugh

This was exasperating. Dipper didn't know if he was being obtuse on purpose or acting like a child who can't stop saying why.

"Because I don't need you dripping everywhere." 

To show Bill that he wasn't going to argue this further, Dipper reached over to the clothing line and pulled two clothing pins off.

That seemed to catch the demon's interest. 

Huh

He opened and closed the clips a few times in thought.

It gives Dipper the perfect idea.

"I know it's not as exciting as burning in a spinning hell fire, but think of this as another torture device," The Pines man opened and closed the clip again in front of Bill to demonstrate, "I'm going to clamp you to this wire and leave you hanging to your death...I mean uh...boredom?"

The demon looked hardly impressed.

Unwilling to be put down so easily, Dipper reached over and clamped a pin on to Bill's vessel.

At this, the toy's eye widened in a small 'oh'

"Do that again!"

Dipper couldn't help the snicker that came out as he grabbed another one. He pinched this one on a lower protruding point on the star this time.

Bill closed his eye in pure pleasure and the brunet felt his face heat up. Embarrassedly he wondered if he was doing something more to the demon than slight pain.

Like hell was he going to ask though. 

After the fourth pin, Dipper was unbearably flustered. The star had begun to make small delightful gasps at the torture and even if it wasn't doing something to the demon, it was to him. 

Oh god he couldn't believe he had admitted that to himself. It was the noises! Nothing else!

He had to change the strange direction this interaction was going now.

Dipper coughed and cleared his throat awkwardly. "See? Still nice and painful for you. So let's hang you out to dry," he said a little more stained than he had intended.

Bill considered this for a moment. "Not entirely as fun as pain was when I was in your body, but close enough," the demon got up and swayed closer to the male twin, "Alright Pinetree, you've convinced me."

Dipper nodded and reached out to grab the demon. Before he wrapped his fingers around the toy, he stopped in a silent question.

The star sighed and reached out to clasp the opposing digits to pull them closer. Even though the touch was initiated by the demon, he still didn't look too comfortable with it.

Gently, Dipper scooped him up and held him under the clothing line. With the other hand, he took some more pins and attached him to the wire. 

Bill started making the same noises as before so Dipper made sure to finish this quickly. He wouldn't be able to bear it if the other saw him turn red. 

When it was all said and done, the star ended up hanging sideways. A single curious eye shifted around, trying to take this new situation in.

"Now what?"

Dipper crossed his arms and took a step back, "You hang there while I eat my pizza and watch some TV. I'll come check on you before I go to bed."

This did not go over well with the demon.

"What? Kiiiiid," Bill whined and it was such an unusual sound, "Bedtime for normal meat sacks would be soon. You on the other hand seem to enjoy going days without it. You lavish in the insomniac joys of mind melting delirium. Which means that you're not exactly giving me much of an time estimate here!"

Dipper snorted because it was true. He could potentially leave the other here for days on end. Too bad he had a book to write. That and he had already gone so long without sleeping already. Dipper didn't think he could last another day, even with his nap earlier. 

Still, the plush didn't need to know that. 

"Well, it wouldn't _really_ be considered torture unless you were held against your will for an undisclosed amount of time," Dipper chuckled as he walked away, waving at the demon.

"Oh! Good point!" Bill shouted at his retreating back, "I'm liking this side of you Pinetree!"

The Pines man made his way back towards the kitchen for his food. A smile tugged at Dipper's mouth and he felt oddly giddy. There was a short spring to his step, until the heavy reminder of what was in his pocket brought his high down. 

Right.

The journal about Bill.

The brunet mused silently as he reached for a Pitt Soda from the fridge and grabbed the cooling box of pizza from the table. Dipper didn't realize he was chewing on his bottom lip until he struck blood and he winced. 

He needed to relax. Just because he found gold while searching for change, didn't mean ...oh who was he kidding. This journal could be his key learning everything about the biggest mystery in Gravity Falls. 

Bill Cipher.

Dipper headed to the living room, but instead of sitting on the sofa, he plopped himself in front of it and onto the ground. To his left, he placed the box of food on the floor and opened it. To his right, he pulled out the journal and flipped it to a random page.

Dipper didn't need the tv on, but to avoid suspicion from the demon a few feet away, he reached behind him and snatched the remote off the sofa cushion. 

The screen flickered on with a push of a button and he surfed through some channels until he came upon a boring news station. It would be perfect background noise that he could drone out to easily.

He focused back to the exciting revelation to his right. Dipper grabbed a slice and brought it to his mouth, while his eyes began pouring through the paragraphs in the book. 

"Bill has been visiting my dreams every night now since our first encounter about a month ago. I'd like to believe that it means the mysterious creature has come to trust me more. We shall see. The more time Bill spends in my dreams though, the less restful I feel in the mornings. I can't say that I mind too much. I've come to enjoy his little visits."

Dipper licked his lips as he finished off a slice and turned a few more pages.

'My relationship with this mind being has been progressing quite nicely. Bill has been helping me with my research of Gravity Falls and we have agreed to become assistants. All I had to do was allow Bill into my mind and body freely. He called it a deal and shook my hand.'

'Fiddleford has no idea of our rendezvous or transformations, but I believe he suspects something. It's a strange feeling having someone else in my body. I'll admit though that it isn't entirely unpleasant.'

Dipper continued to read through a few passages as he nibbled on a piece of crust. Each turn of the page only made the pit of his stomach sink lower. Low, until he'd lost his appetite. Ford's alliance to Bill was bordering on obsession at this point and once again he questioned his great uncle's relationship with the triangle. 

Closer to the end, there were drawings of Bill and triangles. Notes surrounded the pictures, but there were also a few things written in some sort of cipher. 

One that was is in big bold letters stood out to him the most:

'J'u lqsito J ulj cm qlmttyh nzc iqx'

Dipper dog eared the page so that he could try and figure out the cipher later. For now he moved on to the most interesting part he's found so far. 

Great uncle Ford had various pages where he wrote down information he had discovered about the demon. It had little tidbits such as the measurements of all his sides and how one side was slightly longer than the other. He also noted how Bill was finicky about being touched.

Dipper searched to see if his uncle had written anything about the demon hating to be ignored but found nothing.

It gave him the urge to grab a pen and write it in. He almost got up too but then a better idea struck him. Why not use this information to enhance his research and produce a side book about Bill? 

He could use Ford's notes and then add in his own for a collaboration. Although...he wasn't so sure how his uncle would feel about that. The word Bill was trigger to his great uncle and he doubted this journal was meant for the eyes of others. 

He may need to use a pseudonym for this one. 

Dipper would worry about the details later, because this was a great idea!

He really did want to know more about Bill and maybe for once, he could actually do something Ford couldn't.

He'd just have to make sure neither of them caught on...

Dipper flipped a few more pages again and that's when he really stared in shock. Any thoughts he was having currently hit the back-burner as angry red letters screamed up at him. Over and over again the word Bill was scribbled across the page in different sizes. Dead center was another cipher, longer than the first.

'Cqww ja esf wywz wyp xpz folpctblyea xp. Gqoommqzsl wpgb, mfu Jtwm kzyuqyffa ez qzlttm xj xwcv bvo mfttpwm ty nm. T nbvyzu lpyz uj qfmwtood log wzoopc. J vppe bz eftw sju!'

At the bottom, written in English, was a cry for help that made Dipper shudder.

'What have I become!?'

Yeah. If Dipper is to do this separate book, it's definitely going to be in secret. 

"Pine Treeeeeee."

In pure paranoia, Dipper snapped the journal shut and tried to hide it. For some reason, he expected the star to come floating in, but then he remembered that the demon was stuck hanging in his laundry room.

A sigh of relief coursed through him. It was a good place to stop anyways. If Dipper wanted to keep his sanity, he needed to take his time reading the horrifying entries. 

Dipper looked over at the box on his left and noticed that over half the pizza was still there.

What a waste. 

Well...time to put the left overs away and face Bill. 

Dipper got up to store the rest of the food in the fridge, making sure to hide the journal in one of the kitchen drawers. The one without utensils, in case the star got any crazy ideas.

He then trudged his way over to check on his demon.

As he walked in, the sight in front of him wasn't any different than how he left Bill. He was still dangling there limply, except he was now very clearly annoyed.

The dripping had stopped, but from far away he couldn't tell if Bill was completely dry.

"Am I done yet?" The tortured one asked.

Dipper got closer and reached out to squeeze the middle of the star. 

"H-hey!" 

Bill was still pretty damp, but Dipper could fix that with the right equipment.

"Sorry. I was just checking," the brunet muttered. Bill had acted annoyed when he had asked permission last time. He figured this time would have been okay, "You're still really wet."

The demon glared at the apology , but it was quickly replaced with a sigh, "Now what?"

Dipper was sure that the last thing Bill wanted to hear was that he needed to hang there much longer, so he offered his solution, "Hold on I think Mabel may have left a hair dryer somewhere. That'll speed things up..."

Dipper spent the next half hour, searching for the hair accessory and using it on the toy. He made sure to use it on the lowest setting, just to be safe. He dared not mention this to the other though, because he knew for sure Bill would nag him to make it hotter if he knew. 

Despite not knowing, the demon still took it as another form of torment and thoroughly enjoyed it. At least he wasn't making those other noises he had been making earlier. Then again, the Pines man wasn't sure if Bill shouting over the roar of the hair dryer to hold a conversation was any better. 

By the time Bill was finally dry, Dipper was exhausted again. Mentally and physically.

He pulled out his phone to check the time.

Midnight.

Time to call it a night. If Bill was still slightly damp then at least it was not his problem.

Bill made a noise of protest once the hair dyer had turned off. The brunet didn't care though. All he wanted to do was pass out. Dipper unclipped the star until he was floating in front of him and then headed out to his bed.

He didn't speak even as the demon followed him. It wasn't until he had changed and gotten under the covers that he realized he couldn't ignore the confused expression on Bill's face any longer.

"Ugh Bill. I'm exhausted," Dipper complained as he tried to get comfortable, "I haven't slept well the past couple of days. I'm going to need it too if we're going to work on the spell tomorrow. Don't you have something better to do than bug me?"

Bill squinted at him in scrutiny, "Not my fault you did this to yourself, but fine I'll leave you to your disgusting fluid dripping ritual."

The star drifted away and settled into his pillow on Mabel's bed, crossing his legs on it.

This made the brunet scowl. As if Dipper was going to accept that drooling on Bill was all his fault. 

"I don't do that all the time! You got what you deserved for getting that close and for being so..so comfy," he snapped back.

The demon's eye widened, then looked away seemingly embarrassed, "Comfy?"

Dipper suddenly realized what he said and his face flushed, "You know what I meant! Seriously what were you doing so close? I don't buy the whole trying to check I was sleeping story."

The toy became defensive, inspecting his hands and ignoring the question. 

He was not getting off this easy.

"Well?"

Bill let out a growl of frustration and glared, "I admire your curiously Pinetree. It's cute even," at this a finger pointed at him, "But this truth deal is going to get old really fast if you can't let some secrets be."

Dipper sighed and gave the other a pleading look.

Why was it so difficult to get information out of Bill?

The demon caught his expression and for a moment he looked lost at what to say. He adjusted his tie a few times before speaking again.

"Fine...If you must know, it's easier to pull you into the mindscape that way. The closer I am to you, the stronger the connection. Knowing your sensibilities and our past, I- See! You're doing it right now!"

Doing?

Oh

Dipper realized that his mouth was hanging open in shock and he shut it closed. 

What the _hell_

Sure Bill had slept in his bed once or twice but this meant...

"You've been sleeping in my bed and close to me ever since you took in that body!?"

A single irked eye blinked at him, "You act like that's scandalous Pinetree."

It was!

...to him at least. 

Except, when he really thought about it, he didn't see why he was so flustered by it. Bill wasn't a human. There were no inappropriate implications from sleeping...Nope!

Not going to go there because that was exactly what it was. He was blushing because he was unintentionally cuddling in a bed with a demon. 

Dipper groaned and hid his face in the blanket, "Soo uh, what do you do when I'm asleep? Do you sleep too?" 

As embarrassing as it was to ask, the brunet had to know. He had to know Bill wasn't doing weird stuff to him while he was sleeping.

"No."

Even though his face is on fire, Dipper peeks out from under the sheets to stare at the other. "Then what do you do? How are you both here and the mindscape?"

Bill considers his answer before speaking, "You showed me human things earlier, now let me show you what I do."

The way it was phrased, Dipper wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. Yet... regardless of the implications, he couldn't tame the curiosity boiling inside him. After all, maybe this was something he can add to the book?

"Um...okay?"

The star grunted in response and the proceeded to grab his pillow and float toward him. Because of its weight, the star staggered to make it to the bed. It was almost comical how much Bill was struggling, except Dipper was too nervous to chuckle.

Im fact, the male twin had no idea what to do or whether to move or not. He could only watch as Bill got closer. 

Dipper swallowed hard. 

With a mischievous glint, the demon dropped the pillow in the space right above his head. It slumped right in between his brown curls and the headboard, and Dipper almost considered taking it back. 

Instead, he raised a brow as he laid there, "It's been by my head this whole time and I don't get to use it?"

Bill gave him an amused expression, "Not always. Although I clearly remember offering to share," he practically sang.

Dipper frowned, "And my answer is still the same. No thanks."

The star gave a small laugh before floating over to place a warm hand in brown hair. Next thing Dipper knew, he was being tugged up off the mattress by said curls.

"Ow! Bill what the hell!?" Dipper shouted, startling the demon enough to let him go. When he did, the twin's head fell into something soft and plush.

The pillow. 

Oh

Bill was still sharing with him regardless of his answer. Again Dipper felt his face burn and he really hoped the other wouldn't notice.

"T-thanks."

"Better?" The other asked smugly.

"Y-yeah."

God why couldn't he stop stuttering?

Bill settled down above his head, but still slightly in view. The star reached towards Dipper's hair again, but then stopped.

"...I won't tug this time," the star muttered, avoiding his gaze. 

Now Bill was asking for permission?

Not that it mattered. Dipper was still too into whatever this ritual of Bill's was, to say no now.

"Uh...sure."

Despite the promise, Dipper closed his eyes as a reflex. Even if Bill wouldn't tug, he still expected some sort of pain. 

Instead, he felt small hands begin to massage his scalp and play with his hair. It was such an odd thing for the other to do.

Yet the brunet still felt himself relax and let out a sigh. 

"You do this...every night?"

Hazel eyes opened half way to keep himself awake. The feeling in his hair was going to put him to sleep at this rate, but he didn't want it to stop.

Bill hummed, "...Only recently. Before..."

Fingers trailed forward to push back his bangs and then touched the outline of his scar. Dipper went completely still when a lone digit began to trace it. 

The brunet had to swallow down the shame and anger that this brought him. He hated people touching his birthmark. He wanted to be pissed off and jerk away from the demon's touch. He wanted to shout at the other for invading his space. Dipper had to stop himself though, because even though he hated the idea of being touched there...it still felt good.

Good enough that he felt the lids of his eyes slide back shut. Good enough that Dipper's mind blanked of all the stress and worries he had recently...Enough that for the first time in a long while, the twenty-three year old fell asleep within seconds. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

After he had fallen into oblivion, they had made a trip to the mindscape.

Except this time, it had been a short visit. 

Dipper had even arrived next to the statue, which he thought wouldn't happen again. He couldn't really linger though, because Bill's voice had filled the air, telling him to hurry.

It was nice that the demon still trusted him enough to let him arrive in the atrium at least.

After some quick deliberating, they had both agreed that their first mission should be to collect the pixie dust. Bill explained that not only did they need it to guarantee the success of the ritual, but as a back up in case the other tasks proved to be too difficult.

When Dipper reached for the book the triangle had been reading, he saw why. Pixie dust not only had magical activating properties, but it also was the main ingredient to luck potions. 

They would definitely need all the luck they could get. 

After a brief overview of pixies and some time to let Dipper ask a few questions, they came up with a game plan. 

They had to wake up an hour and a half before sunrise, find the pixie village, lure one or two away, and then make a trade for the dust. It seemed like a safe and easy enough scheme.

The most important parts were that they needed iron and ribbon.

Once the plan was clear, Bill let Dipper fall back into sleep peacefully with the promise to wake him up when it was time.

~~~~~~~

It wasn't enough time. 

After having denied his body the rest that he needed, waking up felt like being hit by a truck. 

His bones ached to remain in place. His mind tried to cling to the blanket of sweet nothingness. 

Too bad a stubborn demon was nudging his cheek too forcefully to pass out again.

"Mmmk. M-up," Dipper's words sloshed together and he opened his eyes to darkness.

Well not complete darkness. Above him a faint light glowed and blearily his gaze traveled to the source.

It was Bill. 

His eye was closed in concentration and the glow seemed to radiate off him in small pulses. It's was actually really pretty and fascinating.

It was almost like having a personal moon.

"It's rude to stare Pinetree," Bill said softly and very much amused. His eye opened a tad, obviously reveling in the attention.

Dipper's cheeks became warm.

Ugh

Why was he so freaking awkward?

"S-orry man. I'm still waking up..."

Dipper sat up and yawned, trying to brush off the sleep still holding onto him.

Bill too got off the pillow and began to stretch.

"Get dressed kid, we have to go as soon as possible. Pixies are nocturnal creatures so they are tired and at their weakest right before sunrise," Bill began explaining as he followed him around as he got ready. He even paused while Dipper went to the bathroom and then started again once the door opened, "If we are too late though, they'll be asleep and we'll have to wait and try again." 

The Pines man put on a blue hoodie and some shorts for comfort. Other than that he really didn't anything else to get ready but shoes. Dipper opened a drawer to pull out some socks, struggling to find a matching pair. 

"How far are we going?"

While Dipper was busy getting ready, Bill had been occupied as well. The demon had been trying to find something made of iron that they could carry, but stopped at the question, "It'll be a twenty minute hike, so wear some comfy shoes."

Dipper almost laughed. As if he had any other pair of shoes than the one pair he brought from home. 

"What else do I need?"

Bill was getting agitated at not being able to find anything and made a face, "The ribbon, iron and that special item we talked about. I can't find anything in this pigsty, so I'll leave you to it and meet you on the porch."

At that, the star stormed off, leaving Dipper alone with his thoughts. 

That was odd. What was going on with him?

Whatever. He didn't have time for this right now.

Dipper shrugged it off and grabbed the small bag he needed and stuffed it in his pocket. He then went to search for the last two important supplies. 

Finding ribbon was easy. Mabel had some stashed in a box under the bed with all her other crafting supplies. The only long one was red and frilly, but hopefully it would do the trick.

When it came to the iron though, Dipper wasn't sure what to look for. What had iron in it? 

Hmmm..

Nothing a little online searching couldn't help.

He pulled out his phone and typed in household items that had iron in it. After scrolling through a few results, he landed on one he definitely knew they had.

Quickly, Dipper made his way down to Ford's room and pulled out the drawer from the desk. He reached in and grabbed the flat head he had used last night. 

At first he wasn't sure it was the right material, but upon further inspection it looked right. Even if it wasn't, Bill had told him that having iron was only necessary as a precaution. 

Dipper stuffed the tool in his pocket and made his way to the gift shop exit where he figured Bill would be waiting for him. He was sure by now the demon was probably pacing and wondering what was taking so long. 

Right before Dipper opened the door that led outside, a familiar blue object caught his eye.

Oh. 

It sure had been a while.

Without much debate, Dipper reached over to grab the Pinetree hat and put it on his head. Man had he missed wearing this hat. 

He was still very much a hat person, but his last crush hadn't liked them. He had stopped wearing them for months trying to get her to notice him but she'd started dating this other dude instead.

After that, well it had stuck since he still saw her at school every day.

The Pinetree one he had worn long ago had been given to Wendy. It had been a parting gift for when she moved away. Dipper remembered the day clearly. They had both stared at each other, teary eyed and not sure of what to say.

Instead of heartfelt goodbyes, they had switched hats with the promise to see each other soon. And they did. They caught up every now and then, but the blue trucker hat never came up in conversation again. 

For years he liked to imagine that she didn't return it because she missed him, rather than accept the probability that she had lost it. 

Then he moved on and got over his crush.

Shaking the memory from his head, Dipper stepped outside to the cool air. It felt good on his over heated skin and he pulled up his jacket sleeves to feel more of it.

As predicted, Bill stopped his pacing to stare at the brunet standing out there with him.

"Glad you could finally join me," the star began saying as he floated over to Dipper and then poked the symbol on his hat, "Pinetree."

Dipper rolled his eyes, "I see you approve of the hat," he replied as he pulled the flat head and ribbon out his pockets, "I've got the stuff. Now, lead the way."

The demon's eye curved into a smile, "Of course. It's always suited you in more ways than one," Bill said cryptically. He began drifting away to the left side of the forest, "Right this way."

Dipper didn't know how to respond to that until they were a few feet into the woods. When he really thought about it, he never really understood why Bill called him that. He did it to most of the people on the zodiac but not to all or as constantly as he did with him. He figured the best way to learn was the ask the triangle himself.

"Hey Bill?"

The star made a noise in acknowledgment and Dipper took it as a sign to continue.

"Why do you call me Pinetree? Was it the hat or the zodiac?"

The demon gave a short laugh, "Both. I see everything remember? You think it was a coincidence that on one of your first days here, you'd end up with that hat?"

Huh. 

Maybe it had been fate. 

He reached out to run his fingers along the brim of the hat and adjust it on his head.

Since Bill had answered that without having to pull teeth, Dipper decided to try and get more out of the demon. Maybe he could even learn some stuff to write in the journal. 

"So...just hypothetically, what would have happened if we had completed the circle?"

Bill paused in mid air to slowly turn towards him. The look he was giving Dipper made him realize he asked the wrong thing.

Shit

There went any progress he had made.

But then Bill surprised him by answering, "Let's just say it would have been better for me than the stunt Sixer pulled. You have any idea how long it took me to put myself back together after that?"

Dipper shook his head and dared to ask, "How long?"

The star moved to face the way they were going again and kept going. After a moment a silence he spoke again, "Nevermind, it's not important."

"Oh..." Dipper tucked his hands in his pocket at the disappointing response. Maybe if he changed the topic to something not so bitter to the star in front of him, it could keep the conversation going. 

"How did you meet all those guys you were working with?"

A jolt shook through Bill and it looked like he was going to turn again but he didn't.

"You mean my henchmen?"

The demon's tone sounded suspicious of the question and Dipper realized he was walking on a thin line here. Any wrong word and Bill would shut himself off again.

"I thought they were your friends too?" Dipper tried his best to sound curious but not probing.

"Hah. First of all, let me get this through your previous little skull kid. Those demons feared and respected me. At least until you meat sacks defeated me. Haven't heard from them since!" At this fumes of anger rolled off the star, "I may have called them friends, but they were nothing but lackeys riding my coat tails in the end. Second, I see what you're trying to do here Pinetree. No more questions."

Dipper felt himself go pale at the thought. There was no way Bill knew about the journal. So what did his temporary ally think was going on?

"We need to focus on getting the pixie dust first. Those annoying wanna be faries will be tricky and play pranks on you, but if you work with them, they'll hand you a bag of the good stuff," the demon explained, "Good thing you have me around. They'll sense not to mess with us...Probably."

"Probably?"

Bill scoffed, "I'm not exactly in my usual terrifying form. They may or may not recognize me."

Terrifying form? Dipper almost laughed at the thought. The triangle form was tame compared to the others he'd seen.

Before the brunet could form a smart reply, something moved in the corner of his eye. Something in the distance that made some bushes rustle.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to where he thought the noise had come from. Sure enough it came again, except this time two small figures emerged with pointed hats. 

It was still so dark that Dipper couldn't tell if they were gnomes or pixies. He would have to get closer to find out and quick! They were moving away in another direction.

Without saying a word, Dipper trailed off after the figures as silently as he could. Worn sneakers cautiously avoided stepping on fallen branches, least he made his presence known. 

It didn't take too long to get to the area where the creatures had last been spotted. Dipper looked around frantically, trying to figure out what direction they went. 

Oh no. What if he had lost them?

A faint melody of giggling came from his left and immediately he headed towards it. The further he went into the woods the more teasing the laughter became. It began to irritate him, almost like they were making fun of him.

Frustrated, Dipper was about to tear apart some bushes with his bare hands when someone grabbed his right wrist to hold him back.

The conflicting actions caused their hands to slip and slide across each awkwardly until they were holding hands.

A jolt passed through Dipper and he almost yelped from shock. In a flash, he whipped his head around to see what it was and saw an equally as surprised Bill staring back. 

Immediately the brunet protested the feeling and tried to pull his hand free. It didn't work. This only made the demon hold on tighter.

That didn't mean he was going to stop trying. 

"What are you doing? Let go!" Dipper whispered harshly at the other. He felt himself become flustered at the warm hand in his and continued to tug.

Bill responded by yanking the other with his hold to get him to stop, "Yeesh Pinetree. Relax."

After struggling for a few more seconds, Dipper had no choice. The demon was being too stubborn to let go. He gave up and let his arm go limp. 

Instead he focused on glaring at the demon, expecting some sort of explanation. 

The star in front of him sighed, "Remember what I told you about pixies being mischievous?"

The brunet nodded.

"Well those hobo imps are known to trick humans and lead them deep into the woods to get lost. As I said, they know better than to do that with a demon. You on the hand, have a habit of wandering off. This, " he paused to indicate to their holding hands, "Is the best way to prevent that."

Dipper grimaced.

Really?

There surely were better ways than this...

Well, he had wandered off unexplainably. It also would explain the mocking laughs earlier too. Even if it killed him inside, he supposed it was best to be safe than sorry.

He swallowed hard and adjusted his now sweaty palm in Bill's hold, "Okay."

He half expected the demon to relish in his win or make a big deal out of this, but he didn't. Dipper was thankful for that. In fact Bill seemed more comforted by the act, which was strange in itself. 

But the star did stare at their hands again for a split second before leading the way.

"We're pretty close. I think I can sense those two that messed with you...." The star trailed off as they moved forward. Dipper could have sworn he heard the demon mutter something that sounded like 'show them for messing with' his something.

He wasn't about to ask for clarification.

"So we'll sneak up on them, but how are we going to do that like this?"

He gestured to their joined hands and Bill gave a soft laugh.

"That's exactly what we'll do. You got our secret weapon?"

Dipper huffed.

"Of course," he retorted. As is he would be stupid enough to forget.

With his free hand, Dipper reached into left pocket and pulled out the small plastic ziplock bag. Bill was understanding enough to let go of his other one, so that he could pull the red slider open. 

The fresh smell of strawberries filled his nostrils and his mouth watered.

"Won't they still be able to see you though? You can't exactly eat any..."

The star gave him this look that apparently meant that the answer was obvious, "Right you are! But you also have the power to decide what to turn invisible as long as you're touching it. Why do you think your clothes turned invisible too? Because of you're feeble mind's need for decency of course."

Oh that made a lot of sense. 

He supposed that meant they hand to hold hands again. 

Great.

Nervously, Dipper reached for Bill's hand and the demon let him. His heart sped up, but from what he was sure was nerves, not anything else. After all, the plan might go wrong. 

Yeah...

That's what it was.

Dipper took a small bite of the strawberry and closed his eyes as he chewed and swallowed. He focused on making sure the other would turn invisible too.

When he opened his eyes again, he couldn't see Bill anywhere around him. Although just because he couldn't, didn't make the warm and tight feeling in his right palm disappear. 

"Good job kid." A voice whispered close to his ear and it made him shudder, "Now ten feet in front of us are those two pixies joking around. Sneak up on them and pull out the iron. That should get them talking."

Dipper nodded and realized that maybe the other couldn't see him. Maybe he could. He was an all seeing demon after all.

"Now hold up the rest of the fruit in front of your face. I'll take it and hold it until we're ready to change back."

The Pines man did as he was told and felt the strawberry slip away from his fingers. He refused to think about how the other's hand had caressed his slightly when it happened. 

Truth was he had a small panic attack at the loss of his only way back to being normal. At least he calmed himself enough to realize he had more in his pocket and home. He also knew where to find more.

After taking a few deep breaths, Dipper shifted about and adjusted the flat head so that it would be in his left pocket instead of his right. He left his hand in there, just in case and then slowly made his way forward. 

Once again, he made sure to avoid anything that would alert the others and scare them off.

Bill stayed behind him, probably watching and ready to give instructions if necessary. 

Dipper kept moving and the closer he got to reaching the distance the plush demon mentioned, the more he could hear something talking. Sure enough, two pointy hats stuck out from the other side of a bush.

He circled around the foliage, so that he could take a better look at the creatures. 

They sure were tiny. 

Two petite female pixies were giggling and playing around with each other. One had their shocking red hair tied up in a ponytail, while the other had short neatly styled blond hair. Both wore green rags for clothing that matched their hats. It reminded Dipper of house elves from a wizarding movie he used to like as a kid.

They had set down some sacks and were throwing pebbles at each other. At first Dipper thought this was a bit violent, but then he saw they were missing each other on purpose.

As he was observing them, something sweet and soft pressed against his lips. He took it as a sign that now was the time to appear.

Dipper took a bite out of the strawberry and just as fast as they had disappeared, they were back.

Two small gasps sounded from below them and he quickly pulled out the flat head and pointed it at them.

"Well hello there," Bill started the conversation, sounding way too devious for what they were about to do. 

Dipper wasn't too shocked to see one of the pixies burst into tears while the other comforted her and glared at them. 

They were frightened of them, not the dangerous creatures Bill had explained earlier.

He put up his free hand and stepped in front of the star to show he meant no harm.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry to frighten you. We don't want to hurt you," Dipper tried to comfort the small creatures. He felt an obnoxious tug to his right hand, signaling that Bill had very much intended to do either one or the other. Maybe both.

He tugged back in warning.

"If you are not here to kill us, then why the weapon? What does a human such as yourself want with our kind?" The braver of the two spoke up. The other continued to try and suppress her sobs.

"It's for protection. Sorry," Dipper admitted with a frown, now feeling a little bad about the idea. He hadn't meant to...well he had no idea. Bill had made them seem much worse than what they really were, "We just need some pixie dust."

"Of course," the pixie that had previously been silent sneered between hiccups, "You've murdered our kind for it before. Why are you any different?"

The red headed and calmer pixie shushed her, "Please, in those bags we have some dust. Just take it and promise not to hurt us."

The guilt at how terrified they were continued to eat up Dipper, "I promise we won't. Sorry and thank you."

He walked over to the bags and picked them up. He opened one of them and peered in to see the gold colored dust glitter up at him.

He heard a small tsk behind him, "Pinetree. We have a problem."

Dipper raised a brow in question.

"It's not enough. We need a whole pound of the stuff. That's not even half," Bill muttered, clearly frustrated at this development.

This was definitely a bad turn of events. 

The Pines man did the only reasonable thing to do at the moment. He squatted down on one knee and faced the pixies. 

They both immediately flinched back.

He apologized again, "Please, we need more than this. We'd be willing to trade some ribbon or goods for it. We weren't just going to take what you had by force," Dipper explained. He pulled out Mabel's old red ribbon to show them.

Their eyes lit up at the sight and one of them reached out towards it. When she realized her actions, she dropped her hand.

"That's all we have! We weaker pixies aren't allowed to carry that much. If any creature of the forest demands over a pound, they need to consult our king. He is charge of the pixie dust exchange," the red head replied curtly. 

"Your king?" Dipper repeated, unsure of what the meant exactly.

"Yes," the blond spoke up, "You'll have to speak to him and convince him you have a worthy enough trade to receive more."

Dipper and Bill exchanged looks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the blond point to their joined hands and giggle. Immediately his face burned in embarrassment, but for his safety, he didn't let go.

Yeah.

Safety.

Bill was the one to respond to them first, "I'd say we have plenty to offer, blondie. My friend here would love to negotiate." 

Friend?

Before, Dipper could even dissect that phrase and its meaning in a million ways, he paused. Said "friend" had an unreadable expression that worried him. It almost looked like concern. 

When the star turned to face him again though, he hid his emotions and squeezed his hand.

Dipper didn't know what to make of that, but he hoped it wasn't a bad sign. Before he could even discuss any plans, Bill leered at the pixies in front of them.

He gave a small chuckle and pulled Dipper closer. 

"Now how's about you take us to this king of yours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there were ciphers in this chapter. They aren't too important to the story that you absolutely need to solve but definitely juicy info if you do. The key should be hopefully obvious, but if you want a hint let me know~
> 
> More action in the next chapter for sure. I can't wait to get that one out >:D
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Thanks to all who have commented and stuck with the story so far <3's


	12. The Pixie King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper are off to see the king to collect pixie dust. Of course, things do not go as planned as Dipper finds himself in terrible situations with no help from Bill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, so sorry it took so long to update this. I've had a rough couple of weeks of change and adjustment at work. I have something big coming up in September that may cause me to update at a slower pace. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging and I'll finish this fic. 
> 
> Anyways, this chapter is wild from start to finish so just a heads up that it's a little more on the Teen to Mature side. The tags apply here.
> 
> Enjoy!

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"Now how's about you take us to this king of yours?" Bill said cheekily, placing his free hand on his side and leaning forward.

This intimidated the pixies and they took a step back. Both of them exchanged stern glances, silently arguing in front of them. It was obvious that the blonde one didn't want to do it. She was weary of Bill and she had every right to be. 

Dipper idly wondered if she had a clue as to what he was... 

Regardless, he had to do some damage control. The red head seemed to be the one most inclined to agreeing, so she would have to be the one to convince. 

It was his only hope if this plan was going to work. 

Dipper lightly pulled his body away from the demon and gave them a smile.

"Would that be alright?" He asked gently. Then an idea struck him, "If you take us, we'll give you some of the ribbon."

Once again he held out the thin piece of fabric for them to see.

He wasn't sure if making a deal with the item he was supposed to trade with the king was a such a good idea. There was a chance he might need it all...but then again there was no point in hoarding it, if that was his only chance at seeing said royalty. 

Luckily Dipper had brought a couple of feet of it, so hopefully it would be enough for both. Bill had mentioned that pixies considered ribbon as a luxury and was highly prized. 

He never said how much of it though.

The small creatures let out a tiny gasp of excitement at the words and then began whispering in each other's ears.

From the looks of it, they seemed to approve of him, but were arguing about Bill. No surprise there. The blond was easily becoming more and more frustrated. Even as so much as shouting the red head’s name to make a point. 

Tressa, what a pretty name. 

Their bickering made the air around them awkward and silent. Dipper had no idea what to do so he glanced over at the star for help. Bill only gave him a shrug. He was trying to play himself off as bored and casual, but Dipper knew better. His other hand was clenched in a tight fist, as if there was something worrying him.

Dipper was curious as to why, but it would have to be asked later.

For now, the brunet had to intervene fast before they came to a final decision. If Bill was the reason the girls were going to say no, he had to ease their fears. 

Dipper coughed softly to get their attention and casually inserted himself in their conversation, "He's harmless by the way. He's just uh a floating toy. He won't harm you or anyone as long as I say so."

He was bluffing sure, but they didn't need to know that. The brunet was going to say anything to get that dust. It needed to be collected. There was no back up plan. At least, none that he knew of.

Bill must have disapproved of the statement because he gave his hand a hurtful squeeze, jolting him back to the present. 

Dipper gave the star a dirty look.

What was his problem? There was no reason to scare the pixies. They seemed pretty harmless to him. The only crime they were guilty of was trying to get him lost. To them it was all a prank. That wasn't all too that bad in Dipper's book.

A few more quiet exchanges passed between the females, before the blond turned to face him.

"Fine. We will lead you to our king in exchange for some of the ribbon. Since we do not trust either of you, if we notice any suspicious behavior, we will leave you stranded for dead in the forest," she harshly spat and crossed her arms.

The red head or Tressa stepped forward and chimed in, "Your kind aren't really welcome in our parts. You will do as we say or you will be attacked. Once we take you to our king, it is up to you to prove yourselves. He will determine if you are in need and worthy."

Attacked?

Well that was something he was going to avoid happening at all costs.

Other than that, the rules didn't seem too bad.

Dipper wanted to nod his head and agree right then and there, but he had to stop himself. He wasn't used to dealing with pixies and Bill seemed to have at least some concerns.

Besides, the demon was the master of deals. He would know if this was one was worth shaking on. 

Dipper gave Bill a light squeeze, hoping the other would know what it meant. 

_Is this okay?_

The star caught on and gave a laugh, "It's a deal Red. Lead the way and we'll handle the rest,” he practically sang. 

Bill squeezed back and the brunet took it as a sign of approval.

Luckily for them all, Bill didn't reach out to shake anyone's hand. If anything, Dipper was sure blue flames would have appeared, but they didn't. Why was that? After all the deals they had done together, it was odd to see the demon do a regular deal. 

Wait.

Did that mean that Bill was capable of making a regular deal? He thought the other was not only a demon of dreams but one of deals as well. If Bill made a deal without shaking hands, did it count as a binding deal or was the equivalent of crossing your fingers behind your back?

Ugh so many questions and now was not the time to figure them out. 

Dipper turned his attention back to the pixies. They glared at Bill until the red head spoke again, "Then follow us at your own risk.” Tressa removed her green hat to run a hand down her hair with a sigh, "Jenifry you take the rear, I'll lead the way."

The blond pixie, obviously named Jenifry, made a noise of dissent, "What? Tressa! Why do I have to?"

Tressa rolled her eyes and put her disheveled hat back on, "You and I know you don't trust them enough to turn your back on them."

Uh...

Were they really going to talk about them right in front of their faces?

The brunet was about to say something, but the star beat him to the punch. Bill cleared his throat to remind them of their presence and they both jumped at the sound. The blond's face twisted in anger and she looked like she had a few choice words for the toy.

Dipper was worried Jenifry would call everything off, but the other pixie placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Jen, let's get going," Tressa spoke to her calmly. She squeezed the blond warningly before she let go. After that the red head beckoned them to follow and begun walking deeper into the forest.

Jenifry waited until her partner was a few steps ahead before she turned to sneer at them and stuck her tongue out. 

It was pretty obvious between the two of them, who the more mature one was. 

As much as Dipper wanted to return the favor, he gave her a polite smile instead. He was an adult after all.

The smile wasn't returned and instead the blond gave a huff and kicked the side of his shoe. Dipper took this as a sign to get going and follow the red head in front of them.

Ouch! 

The blond kicked his shoe again, but in the back this time. She also managed to effectively hit his socked heel hence the pain. He had half the mind to kick back at her, but ignored the urge. One thing for sure was, she was going to get old really fast.

"Move faster, you weirdos,” Jenifry shouted behind them, making Dipper bristle in frustration.

Bill on the other hand took her words as a compliment and thanked her. 

Their reactions only egged her on.

"Oh and you two better not make out in front of me. No one wants to see that," she mocked.

W-what!?

Dipper felt all the blood in his body rush to his face, much to his horror.

"We a-aren't l-like that!" He stammered and stared wide-eyed at Bill so that he could deny it as well.

Instead, in utter betrayal, the demon scrunched up his eye and held his middle like he was trying his hardest to hold back his laughter. Whether it was because the suggestion was mentally implausible or because he was making fun of him as well, Dipper didn’t know. All he knew was that it made him feel ten times worse.

Jenifry eyeballed their joined hands and snorted, "Yeah sure you aren't. You sure you both aren't fairies in disguise?" 

At that both Tressa and Bill burst out in hysterics. 

"Oh Pinetree, if only you could see your face!” the star said breathily as he clutched himself harder. The star was laughing so hard he was shaking. 

Dipper choked on his words and began tugging for his hand back in earnest. There was no fucking way he was going to hold onto this asshole's hand any longer. The threat of them being separated be damned. 

It didn't work. 

It seemed like the harder he tried, the tighter Bill's hold seemed to get. He even resorted to using his other free hand to pull them apart, but to no avail. For a weak ass toy, he sure could be inconveniently powerful at times.

To spite Dipper even more, the star ran a finger across his knuckles intimately and tried to pull him closer. Even if the action made a shiver run down his spine, the brunet seethed and gave Bill a warning look.

The red head in front of them looked back at them slightly with a grin, "Is Pinetree like a love nickname?"

This made the demon next to him roll his eye playfully, "Something like that. Don't bring it up though. Pinetree here is a little shy."

"That's it!"

Dipper pulled back his free arm and swung wide into a punch. His fist collided with the edge closest to Bill's arm with a soft fwump. It managed to knock the star back a few inches, but was hardly effective. 

The blow hadn't seemed to hurt Bill, but it had shocked him a little. All traces of amusement were gone and now he seemed rather miffed. 

Even the air around them became awkward and silent enough that everyone stopped walking.

Just great! 

Dipper didn't regret what he had done. The jerk deserved it. He just really really hoped Bill wouldn't blow their cover. 

And by the looks of him, it looked like the demon was trying to plot something evil towards him as revenge. 

Just when the tension was about to become unbearable, a small sound of disgust came from behind them. They all turned to look and it was Jenifry. She did not look pleased.

"Jeeze you two, get a room."

Despite it being the last thing Dipper wanted to hear, the comment broke through the awkwardness around them. The pixies laughed it off while Bill rolled his eye at him demeaningly. Shame at his outburst and the suggestion made the brunet stare at his shoes to avoid everyone’s gaze. Dipper had to collect his cool. He couldn’t risk the pixies getting suspicious and leading them the wrong way.

Everything seemed to go back to normal and they resumed moving again. Even though Dipper had made a fool of himself, it didn’t stop the brunet from continuing to try and pull his hand free.

This seemed to entertain Bill way too much and when he realized this, Dipper finally gave up. 

There was no winning this terrible game between the two of them. Why the demon insisted that they continue to hold hands despite already having a deal with the pixies was beyond him.

After sulking for a bit and walking a few more feet, the woods began to thin. It was odd because Dipper had no idea there was an area like this deep in the woods of Gravity Falls.

Loud chatter could be heard in the distance and it peaked his interest.

They had to be pretty close to the village now! 

A million thoughts per second crossed his mind and Dipper felt his heart speed up. Man he wished the situation was different. It would've been nice if he could’ve brought his notebook to get whatever new information was waiting for them.

It would have been amazing to get a sketch of the girls as well. 

Dipper was going to be sure to pay a lot of attention so that he could remember this for later. 

It was a light press to his hand, that brought him back down to earth. He looked at the source and found Bill staring at him pretty seriously. The demon didn't say a word but instead extracted his fingers loose and maneuvered himself behind Dipper. 

Bill tugged a little at the hood of his jacket and that made Dipper react.

"B-Bill! What are you doing?" The brunet squeaked. His face was red hot with embarrassment while he tried to swat the other away. He didn't appreciate the demon teasing and messing with him.

Jenifry began to giggle at them, thinking it was probably just a couple thing between them. It pissed off Dipper even more.

He was about to punch the star again, but then he felt the other settle into his hood.

"Really?" he asked incredulously, turning to give the demon a glare.

Bill returned the look but rather uncomfortably.

"Pinetree," he whispered, "I need to lay low. If any of those poorly dressed imps recognize me, the whole thing will be a waste."

Realization dawned on Dipper's face and he swallowed hard.

"I'm tired of floating, I hope you don't mind carrying me Pinetree," Bill announced in a fake sweet tone. It was obvious that he was try to explain his sudden actions.

"Y-yeah," the brunet stuttered. He took a deep breath and more steadily corrected, "Sure."

The demon gave him a pat to the back of the head, like a master praising his pet. Even if it felt good, Dipper wasn't going to stand being treated like a dog. He swore Bill was going to get it when they got home. 

They approached a clearing, and then Tressa abruptly stopped to face them.

"We've arrived at the village," she started with a frown, "If you know what's good for you, you'd listen to the following rules. First off," she lifted her hand to count off with her fingers, "Don't talk to anyone unless we give permission, don't touch anything, watch where you step, and don't try anything funny."

"Yeah!" Jenifry piped up behind them, "Right now we outnumber you, so I wouldn't even think about it. Also, we pixies can be a little handsy when we see clothes. Just brush them off if they start grabbing at you. You've got that?"

Dipper made a noise of affirmation while Bill gave a yes m'am in return.

Even if the star had meant to be polite, which Dipper assumed not, the blond gave him an aggressive scowl. 

Maybe it was safe to say that Bill shouldn't talk to Jenifry at all. After all, who knew what'd she do next if he so much as looked at her. 

It was funny because no matter what he said, the pixie didn't want to hear it. Heh then again, who wouldn't react that way after hearing Bill's fast and grating voice?

Dipper let out a huff of amusement and smirked to himself. At least the pixies seemed to like him a little. He looked to the red headed pixie expectantly, waiting for their next move. 

Tressa's eyes met his and she looked away shyly. "Okay," was all she said softly before turning around and heading into the clearing.

They followed her lead and walked into the open field in front of them. 

Dipper gasped at the sight in front of him. 

This was nothing like he had expected. The moor that lay in front of him was wide and alive with the creatures occupying it.

Bill had explained that pixies mostly lived in another country, but that some inhabited Gravity Falls because they were attracted to the weirdness here.

He had never seen so many creature together at once since the gnomes. Dipper was surprised with the amount of them and the fact that he had never seen any before now. They all appeared to be joyous and having fun at each other's expense.

That was until they walked past them. Then the Pixies decided to poke and prod Dipper instead. Some tried to pull at his shoe laces while other climbed up him to try and steal his hat. 

It was like dealing with a group of kindergarteners who didn't know how to keep their hands to themselves.

Good thing only a few of them tried messing with Bill. Dipper managed to pluck them off before they managed to reach the demon. As they struggled in his grip, he would place them back on the ground as gently as he could. 

Dipper could see that among the pranksters there were some who looked wary of his appearance there. Some whispered to each other while some flat out asked Tressa what a human was doing here.

She would either tell them to mind their own business or give them the truth. Probably depending on whether she liked the pixie asking or not.

They made a small turn and the brunet saw that they were heading towards some huge rock formation. It almost looked like Gravity Falls own version of Stonehenge.

Well just not as nice and with wider boulders.

That had to be where the king was.

Dipper felt a lump of nervousness rise in his throat. 

That and an insisting finger poking him in the back.

Bill.

He leaned his head back slightly and whispered to the other, "What?"

The demon grabbed his ear and pulled his head closer. It hurt his neck and Dipper let out a small yelp of pain.

"Hush! Look kid, I'm going to have to ask you to do something that you're not going to like."

That got his attention. Of course Bill would make him do all the dirty work. What was the point of having a powerful demon at your side, if he wasn't going to do anything?

"Fine. What is it?" Dipper gritted between his teeth and clenched his palms.

Bill let out a huff, seemingly not enjoying this conversation as much as him, "I need you to talk to the king alone."

This made the brunet jerk upright and he had to laugh it off because Jenifry gave him a funny look.

After a couple of seconds Dipper turned his head a little again and hissed, "Why?" 

"He's powerful. He'll immediately know what I am if he sees me. The king won't trade with you if you're dealing with my kind," Bill gritted right back before continuing, "If it were up to me I wouldn't leave you alone, but this time I have no choice."

Oh

That made a lot of sense. Wait. Bill had said he didn't want to leave him alone...Is that why he was annoyed or was it because of Dipper himself?

Who knew with that guy.

"So what are you going to do?" he whispered to the star.

"Hey! I see you two chatting in private!" The blond interrupted them, "It better be because you're making up and getting mushy, because if it's anything else I'm ending this right here!"

Tressa turned to raise a brow.

He hoped that she would blow off Jenifry's demand but she didn't. Instead she tapped her foot and waited for them to explain themselves

Dipper paled. 

Shit!

They were busted and he didn't know what to say.

"Of course we are!" Bill said brightly and patted Dipper's cheek fondly, "Pinetree over here was just apologizing for that nasty punch. Weren't you?"

Bill gave him a knowing look and Dipper flushed.

That bastard!

He didn't need to apologize for anything! He meant it full heartedly when he gave that right hook. 

Still the brunet swallowed his pride and tried his best to look remorseful, "Y-yeah! Uh S-sorry Bill. I hope it didn't hurt too bad."

Under his breath he made sure the star could hear him when he said, "I hope it did."

The demon pinched his cheek hard in response, but made it look sweet to the pixies, "That's all right Pinetree, I forgive you!"

It came off overly cheery and fake, so Dipper knew that the demon was still upset about it. 

Whatever.

Dipper was ready to put this all behind them, when he saw the blonde pixie cup her mouth ready to say something. 

"Ugh! Just kiss and shut up already!" Jenifry shouted up at them.

Whaaaat!?

Dipper's mouth hung open in shock and he saw Bill's eye widen immensely. 

Neither of them expected this.

And he was going to ignore the comment, but then the demon's eye curved into a mischievous glint. That's when Dipper knew that whatever the demon had planned for him, he was doomed. 

He wouldn't put it past Bill to use this as the perfect opportunity to freaking roll out his revenge.

"Well what are you waiting for Pinetree?" The demon said a little too smug for his liking. He tapped a finger near his eye, pointing to where he wanted it.

Oh yeah Bill was definitely getting back at him for the punch.

Well he could take that finger and shove it into his eyeball for all Dipper cared. 

There was no fucking way!

It was bad enough he had to hold this asshole's hand, but to kiss him?

And at the thought, Dipper felt his face burn slightly.

No! No!

There was no fucking way!

"It's not like that," Dipped repeated in a deadpanned tone.

The two females looked at him disappointedly.

Really? 

What was wrong with those two? Not even ten minutes ago they hated Bill's stuffing!

Come on! 

He was clearly a human and Bill was a toy right now and a demon in real life! 

...But he was going to be human soon.

Why was he thinking these things!?

The twin watched Tressa place her hands on her tiny hips and shake her head, "Look at him!" 

And Dipper did. The fucking ass was making a sad face!

"I'm not letting you go forward until you do. Even if he's annoying, no one deserves to be treated that way," she continued with a frown.

Oh my god!

This was it. This was how Dipper was going to die. 

He could see the headlines now:

Famous author Dipper Pines dead. Cause of death? A shame so incredible, he imploded.

Such a shame.

There were so many better ways to go.

Biting his lip hard, Dipper leaned close to the star so that his mouth was close to the demon.

"I'm going to fucking tear out your stuffing when we get home," he whispered to Bill who was enjoying this far too much. 

As quickly as he could, Dipper gave the corner of the star a small peck and whipped his head back around. The feeling of heat and plushness lingered on his lips oddly enough. His lips hadn't even been on the toy for that long! 

Still...What an odd combination.

Dipper screwed his eyes shut. The last thing he needed was to see the triumphant look on Bill's face. Worse yet, he didn't want anyone to see the way his whole head felt like it was on fire.

The back of his neck especially felt weirdly hot. Like heat was radiating onto him.

God this was the worst. 

Bill was the worst.

"See was that too hard?" 

Dipper squinted at the red head. She smirked at his expression before continuing on their way. 

"Incredibly," Dipper muttered, not caring if anyone heard him. 

Then the last voice he wanted to hear right now quietly spoke in his ear, "I'll wait out of view, but you need to convince him it's for your research and offer him the trade."

Dipper thanked all that was holy that Bill said nothing about the stupid kiss. When they got back home, he was going to make sure that was on their never to speak of again list. 

Afraid that they get caught again, Dipper merely nodded.

"If anything goes wrong you have the back up in your pocket."

Instinctually, the brunet gripped his pocket and felt the outline of the flathead there. 

It made him feel more reassured with it there, but not enough to stop the pounding in his chest when they finally approached the structure made of stone.

He really didn't want to do this alone...

Dipper took in the sight before him. The place was heavily guarded that was for sure. They weren’t even ten feet from the monument, when they reached a first set of guards. 

Said guards were vastly different than the pixies they had seen before. In fact, these pixies were stronger looking. Dipper would even call them buff. They also wore thicker looking clothing, compared to the rags everyone in the village had on. The brunet assumed it was only so, because they needed more protection as guards. The wooden shields they held sort of gave that away as well. The guards in front of them also held spears made of branches and sharp pebbles in order to attack. 

Normally, Dipper wouldn’t fret about possibly going against something so small. Experience with the gnomes and his hieght made things like this seem like a piece of cake. 

This wasn’t going to be one of those cases.

Nope.

Not with the creatures in front of him having wings that stretched out behind them. Meaning, that if Dipper pissed these pixies off, he’d have to do more than give a few kicks. Now he understood why Bill had said Pixies were more dangerous than they seemed. The two girls who had brought them here were normal civilians. Of course they were going to be scared when Dipper pulled out a weapon. 

The male twin didn’t want to know what would happen if he pulled out the flathead now. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

Dipper brought his attention back to his surroundings. Behind them were two rows of tall boulders, almost like pillars, that made a walkway to the stonehenge knock off. To the small guards in front of them, they probably appeared huge, but to Dipper the boulders reached about a little over his head.

“State your purpose!” one of the male guards shouted at them, "King Cador was not expecting any visitors.” 

The booming voice was so unexpected and unnecessary that both female pixies let out a squeak in shock. Feeling bad for them, Dipper stepped forward to explain, but the poke on his neck was warning enough not to.

It was Tressa who recovered first enough to speak. She stood up straight, puffed out her chest, and look them in the eye, “This human and his toy are requesting a trade with the king. The human brings valuable ribbon as an offer.”

It was pretty endearing to the brunet when he noticed that despite how shaky she sounded, she still tried so hard to seem confident. It made Dipper wonder how often the pixies requested to see the king or even got to see him.

The guard on the left nodded and then approached the one of the right to whisper something in his ear. With a grunt of agreement, Righty flew deeper into the stone structure. More than likely he was going to alert the king.

This made an awkward silence form between them all, as they all just waited and stared at each other.

Well, now seemed to be a good time as ever. 

Dipper pulled out the ribbon roll and tugged about a foot of it loose. There were no scissors to cut it, so he brought it to his pocket with the flat head and discretely tried to use it to tear a piece off. When he made a hole, the brunet brought the rest to his teeth and tore into it unevenly. The ends were a little wet and frayed, but he hoped the female pixies would accept it nonetheless. 

“Jennifry? Tressa?”

The female pixies turned to look at him curiously until they saw the ribbon. A huge smile formed on Jenifry’s face and it looked good on her. It made Dipper think that she should try being a little less grumpy and smile more. Tressa on the other hand, merely laughed at the other’s reaction and reached out her hand. 

The brunet held it out for the red head to grab, and she took it with a small thanks.

It made Dipper shake his head in disagreement.

“No thank you, for bringing us here. Sorry we scared you.”

Tressa gave an amused snort and waved it off, “The ribbon is thanks and apology enough.”

She brought the red piece to her teeth and immediately the male twin noticed how sharp they were. She easily tore it in half and handed the rest over to Jenifry. The blond grasped it excitedly and danced around with it in her arms. 

It was kind of adorable to be honest.

A shifting in his hood reminded him that there was still an annoying demon he had to deal with. Dipper felt the soft weight lift from his back and float in front of him. The look on his face was strained and it made the brunet worry a bit.

Bill caught on to the stress he created and broke into a unconvincing laugh, “Hate to break this fun fest, but I hope you don’t mind me waiting out here with the rest of you all.”

So Bill was making his excuse now.

Jenifry looked like she was about to protest, but the star interrupted her, “And I meant that last part rhetorically of course,” he leered at her.

The blond turned red in the face and clenched her fists around the ribbon. When she realized what she had done, a look of panic came across her face. She temporarily forgot her anger as she hurriedly smoothed out the damaged strip.

A pat to the cheek brought Dipper’s attention back to Bill. When he noticed how close they were, he pulled away and gave the star a look of disgust. Bill flinched a little, but otherwise showed no obvious signs of a reaction to it. 

“Pinetree, they’ll be back soon. Remember what I told you and I’ll be waiting here.”

Still pretty angry at the demon, Dipper only responded with a yeah and then pushed him further away from his face.

Bill obliged, oddly without protest. He stayed where Dipper shoved him and remained quiet, even when the other guard returned.

“I return with news,” the male pixie began, “The king has kindly accepted your request to see him. Although, he demands that I take you to see him now, for any other time he will refuse. Do you still wish to see the king?"

Dipper mentally cheered. He was worried the king would have said no and they would have been back to square one. The acceptance was a relief and from the looks of it, Bill looked pleased as well.

"Yes."

The guard nodded at him, then motioned Dipper to follow, "Right this way, both of you, please."

He took a step and then hesitated. 

Oh crap, did the king expect to see them both?

"Uh, it'll be just me. My f-friend will wait out here," Dipper stammered, embarrassed to use the "f" word to describe someone he hated at the moment.

The guard looked back at Bill, annoyed for causing the delay. He waited for him to say something.

The demon sunk to the floor and stood on his feet. Then with terrible acting skills, he pretended to be exhausted, "He's right. I'm only his tired guide in all this. The trade is the kid's alone. I'm not involved," Bill chimed in, his upbeat voice betraying his acting. 

Dipper glanced nervously at the male pixie that was escorting him to the king. He hoped the creature wouldn't question the lack of normal emotions on the other.

Luckily for them both, the guard merely grunted an alright and continued to walk.

Dipper wiped his forehead in relief and followed the other deeper into the rock structure. As they traveled, he passed more and more guards. Enough that it almost seemed excessive. 

Did someone have it out for this king or what?

Maybe pixie dust was more valuable than he thought? 

Eventually they reached the area where the stones formed a large circle. It was an opening lavish and big enough for...well a small king.

In the center of the area, was a rock formation, chiseled to look like a throne. At least, Dipper thought so. There's no way it was formed that way.

On that throne was a finely dressed pixie who could only be the king. He was in a lavish green robe and had a crown of leaves and twigs on his head. In his right hand was a scepter made of a stick, grass, and toy marble.

It was ridiculous and over the top honestly. What's worse was that here was this guy with all these goods, yet his people were out there barely clothes. It made Dipper fume, but he dared not show it.

There was a trade that needed to be made, and he couldn't ruin it all by questioning the Kings ethics right now. 

Dipper was jolted out of his thoughts by the guard speaking up next to him, “Your highness, this is the human here to trade with you."

The king took in his appearance and invited him forward with a chuckle, “Come forth hugeling, what is your name?’

The male pixie next to him used the butt of his spear to poke him towards the king. As if it had been necessary. Dipper would have approached the king on his own.

“It’s Dipper...sir?”

The brunet wasn’t sure how to address the pixie king without offending him. Based on his reaction though, the term seemed to please the other.

Up close, the king was very handsome. Had it been the pixies who would of stolen Mabel ten years ago, he wasn’t as sure that his sister would have turned him down. He had long and black lustrous hair, and a smile that could charm anyone weak of the heart. 

It was like he was from one of those cheesy romance novels his sister used to read.

“Dipper, what an odd name,” the royal pixie mused, “As you have probably heard, I am King Cador of the pixies. I hear you are here to make a bargain, son?”

“Uh yes sir,” he replied trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. He really hoped this was going to work.

The king let out a small tut and leaned forward slightly, "And pray tell, what are your plans with our pixie dust?"

Oh you know, help a crazy triangular demon turn human in order to do god knows what.

Of course, Dipper dared not say that out loud. Instead he recited the ploy Bill had given him.

"Well I'm just a researcher who is studying the strange happenings in Gravity Falls. I'm not here to cause any harm, if that's what you're worried about, but one of the things I am currently studying sort of needs me to get pixie dust," he said a little too quickly and had to take a deep breath to continue, "Like I mentioned though, I would be willing to offer a trade."

The king inspected him and steepled his fingers in thought. 

"How peculiar..."

Peculiar? 

Dipper chewed on his lip, not knowing how to respond to that. What if the king didn't buy his story? 

Why wouldn't he buy his story?

"Im sorry my boy," King Cador began, his face not looking one bit apologetic, "I suppose I should explain. You see, a human once visited us a long time ago, with the exact same reasonings. He was kind and treated our people well. We almost came to a truce in the dust trade. That was until we found out he used our magic for something unforgivable. That is why I must ask, what is your research with our dust?"

A sense of dread and realization dawned on Dipper. Someone had come to them before with the exact same story? 

He was almost afraid to ask, but he did.

"A man? Did you know his name?"

The pixie nodded, black hair spilling over his shoulders, "Yes, he went by the name of Stanford Pines. He has since disappeared over the last forty years. We like to think it was otherworldly punishment for messing with our dust."

His suspicions had been confirmed. It had been Great Uncle Ford. 

Never had Dipper been so glad not to give out his surname. What a weird feeling that was....

Well if his great uncle Ford had used the dust for what they considered bad, then he sure as hell wasn't going to admit he was related.

But what could possibly be considered so unforgivable that Ford would do it? His great uncle was a genius and knew better than to do something as foolish as whatever the pixies were angry about. 

Also, why hadn't he mentioned the pixies in the journals? 

"Oh.." Dipper stalled.

The curiosity burned in him and he had no choice but to ask. Dipper cleared his throat and tried to sound as indifferent as he could, "What did he use it for anyway?"

A dark expression crossed the king's face and the brunet immediately regretted ever bringing it up.

"To aid a demon."

The last word sent a chill down Dipper's spine. 

What was going on here?

Bill and Ford had done this once before?

Why would they need pixie dust? Had his great uncle been trying to get Bill a body too?

The mysteries and secrets were starting to get out of hand here. It made Dipper's head dizzy and he was just about done with them. What was Bill really up to? What did Ford have to do with this? 

When this adventure was all done and over with, Dipper was going to get some answers. Whether it was either of them or both. 

Realizing that the king was awaiting his response, the brunet shook his head. 

Quick!

Think of a plan.

Uh....

"Not to worry. Mine is more of a personal research? I need the luck to complete a project for medical purposes. Yeah. A cure, to be more specific," he fibbed hopelessly. He really hoped the other wouldn't ask more detail because he honestly had no idea what to say. 

The pixie before him took his answer into consideration, but not without a shadow of doubt, "The amount of pixie dust you are asking for is not one to be handed over lightly," he started off slowly, "If this cure were to work, you hugelings would take try and take more."

Okay. Alright. So it wasn't a flat out no. Dipper had thought for sure the king was going to call him out for lying and refuse him. If he hadn't done that yet, then maybe he had a chance. 

He had to try harder! 

Maybe he could play the sympathy card.

"I-I promise, this is all I would need! This is for um personal reasons. My...My sister! Is really sick and nothing else has worked. It would only be for her. I wouldn't share it with anyone else if you want!"

He was practically shouting now and there was no way the king would believe him now.   
The more the human seemed to talk, the less convinced he was sure the other was.

It was borderline pathetic. He was sure Bill would have said so himself if he were here. Dipper fell to his knees in shame and could only hope the pixie king would had mercy. 

"A noble one, I see."

Brown eyes glanced up to the small figure in front of him. The amount of pity on his face made Dipper cringe. 

If there was anything that he hated most, it was to be looked down upon.

King Cador closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, "An aspiring thing to be, but also very easy to influence. Remember that, Dipper."

The brunet could only nod at the strange warning.

"You are a lucky one. If I had a choice in the matter, I would deny the trade. We don't need any more humans using our dust for any reason. Unfortunately for me, you have caught us in a quite the predicament. We are low in our resources, and I cannot bear to see the kingdom in such poverty. Therefore, if the trade is adequate, I will agree."

The king then paused and gave him a stern look, "Bit if we hear that this has been used for evil, we will invoke revenge on you and your family hugeling!"

The brunet swallowed hard. He could only hope that the pixies wouldn't be able to track what he used the dust for. After all, he was about to do exactly that.

Still, Dipper tried his best to give a genuine smile.

"Understood."

King Cador frowned at him and looked unconvinced, "Now what are you willing to offer?"

Oh right.

Dipper stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out the red offering and presented it to the king.

"I have this ribbon to offer?"

Even if it had come out as a question, it was in all seriousness that he had said the above words. So when he heard a loud guffaw come from the man in front of him, it put Dipper off.

"You think only that will be enough? Our kind are out there barely clothed and you believe one tiny string of ribbon is enough?" King Cador responded incredulously, "No deal."

No deal?

But Bill had said that pixies cherished ribbon! How was it not good enough? Was the king testing him like a car salesman to see what he could get away with? Or was he serious?

There was never a time that Dipper wished so much that the master of deals was with him. Bill would know what to say. He would have probably tricked them into giving it away for free.

But obviously, the star had swindled these small creatures before and there was no way it was going to happen again.

What was Dipper supposed to do now? He was terrible at these sorts of things.

"Uh um I can go back and bring more, if you want?" he suggested weakly.

The king shook his head at the suggestion.

"No. As our location is now compromised, we will be gone before you come back. If you wish to take pixie dust now, you must be able to offer more now."

Panic began to sit in Dipper's chest.

Offer more!?

"Buy this is all I have!"

The male pixie rose from his throne and took few steps. He inspected the twin up and down before raising a hand and gesturing towards him.

"Your clothes then. For the ribbon and all of your layers, save the one for common decency, I would be willing to trade."

What!?

A burst of embarrassment coursed through Dipper from his head down to his toes. The king wanted him to strip and give him all his clothes?

Seriously? 

"You really need all of them for a pound of pixie dust?"

He couldn't just leave a shirt or his hoodie? If he had known the pixies would want clothes, Dipper would have brought some of Mabel's old sweaters she had left behind that didn't fit anymore. 

With a straight face and seriousness beyond Dipper's comprehension, the king gave a short, "Yes."

That alone made it was pretty obvious that there was no changing the king's mind at this point. Still, he hesitated at the zipper of his hood.

Was getting Bill a body really worth all this?

The pixie before him seemed to notice his resistance and lifted his scepter a tad, only to bring it back down hard on the ground.

"These are my requirements. If you do not wish to forgo the trade, then I ask you to leave!" 

As this was going on, Dipper could hear the beginning of a commotion starting way back behind him.

Shit 

They must be coming for him and if he didn't act now, he'd lose out.

He took a deep breath and pulled down the zipper of his outerwear.

Okay.

He could do this. 

Off came his favorite hoodie, and then his shirt a little after. Dipper had to look away shyly when he undid his shorts and shimmied out of them. He couldn't look the other in the eye.

How embarrassing.

The loud voices still came closer, shouting angrily and it annoyed him. 

He was naked! Why where they still coming? Couldn't he just grab the pixie dust and leave in peace? 

Well cold and in peace.

He was really missing his hoodie right now.

The king let out a soft chuckle, making Dipper want the ground to swallow him whole. It had been a long time since he's felt this exposed and laughing at him only made it worse.

"I see now you are sincere in your desire for the dust," the dark haired pixie began, "You have passed my test, I shall hand it over for the price of your clothes."

The human twin stared up at him in shock. 

This had been a test too? 

He should have seen it coming.

It's like Dipper forgot everything Bill had told him about pixies. They were mischievous and now they had all his clothes!

The pixie king waved some guards forward had them bring up a medium-sized brown sack. One of them held it out to him and Dipper grabbed it. He opened it up, just to check that he wasn't being swindled again. 

At least, hopefully he wasn't. It looked pretty real to him, but only Bill would know for sure.

Just as the guards were retreating, something akin to a bug flew right past his ear. The noise startled Dipper and he almost tried to swat it away like a fly.

Luckily he didn't because it turned out to be a pixie. It flew all the way to the throne and knelt before the king in a panic.

"King! We have a problem!"

The king's gaze fell hard on Dipper, as if knowing it had to do with him, "A problem? What kind of problem?" He asked. His small mouth turned into a scowl and he approaches the winged pixie before him. 

"S-sir, There is a demon in our area!"

Oh no. 

They discovered Bill?

He was royally fucked! 

"Demon!?" The king's face was red at this point. Livid to be exact. With a mighty roar, the black haired king shouted at him, "You have lied! This deal is off! Guards! Get him!"

Shit! 

The reality of the situation hit him like meteor and the force of it brought him to only one conclusion. He had to get out right now.

But his clothes! 

But could he grab them in time?

Why was he still thinking!?

RUN!

In a smart but reckless move, Dipper dove for his black hoodie and gathered it up in his arms. He had no time to pull it on, in fact he barely had enough time to run in the opposite direction. He headed towards the exit and away from the pixies. 

Something sharp and painful hit his back, but he couldn't focus on that now.

He had to get away as far as possible and defend himself.

Wait!

The flathead!

As he flees, Dipper fumbled for the tool in his hoodie, hoping he wouldn't drop it or the dust by accident. As he passed a few more startled guards, he finally managed to pull it out. In good time too, because one of the guards came at him towards his face and Dipper swung hard. It clipped the pixie on the arm and the iron in it was enough to stun him.

With a small thud the male hit the ground and the pixies surrounding gasped in horror. 

The shock didn't last, because next thing he knew, they were lunging at him and attacking. 

Dipper continued to run and swing his arm wildly. There was no aiming when it came to hitting something so small that could dodge a tool so short. Even then, the flat head would lure off the pixies, but it wasn't enough to block the spears that flew in his direction. 

One hit him in the left arm and stung so bad. It must have gone deep. He reached out to break the wood in half, but didn't dare pull it out. He couldn't risk bleeding out.

He hit another two guards before he realized that the king was chasing after him, yelling at anyone to attack him.

Dammit! 

This was not good.

Not good at all.

He didn't know how many more pixies he could take on at once! 

At least Dipper could now see the entrance to the fake Stonehenge. The area where he left Bill. 

Once reunited, they could take on the pixies together!

Almost out of breath, Dipped stopped at the entrance to look around. He couldn't see anyone familiar. No Tressa. No Jenifry. But worse of all, no Bill.

Panic set in and all of a sudden his chest was constricting. 

Bill had _left him?_

_How could he?_

Where was he supposed to find him?

A spear hit Dipper on his back, jolting him back from his panic riddled mind.

Shit!

What was he doing?

He was still under attack!

He did, the only thing he could and ran through the moor and towards the woods. He tried to head back the way they had come from, but Dipper couldn't exactly remember where that had been. He couldn't try and concentrate on that either because of all the pixies he was trying to avoid. The ones with wings, he tried to stun away with the tool and the ones below, he tried to avoid stepping on. Even as he did them this curtesy, they still flung themselves at his legs and tried to bite or scratch him. Just like in the pictures Bill had showed him and the ones he had seen on Tressa, they had sharp teeth and claws. It hurt like hell and he was sure he was bleeding too. 

That wasn't the worst of things. If they weren't doing that, they were throwing rocks at him. One managed to hit him on the back of the head and another right above his eye.

That was the last straw. Dipper gave up at playing nice and began kicking out and lashing at anything that came towards him. His mind had reached a point to where he was no longer in control and gave into his emotions. 

When he finally reached the trees, the brunet was gasping with pain in his chest. Tears threatened to spill as his anxiety over came him and the beginnings of a full on panic attack loomed closer. He didn't even realize he was desperately calling out for Bill, until his strangled voice gave out. 

Here he was utterly betrayed and yet he still wanted the demon to appear and tell him he was safe.

Everything hurt and he couldn't hold back any longer. Frustrated and hot tears began to well in his eyes and fall. 

Dipper couldn't hold his hoodie, ward off the pixies with the flathead, and wipe his eyes at the same time. Therefore he ended up half-blindly wandering deeper into unknown areas of the forest. A few times he clipped himself against tree trunks and ran through a scratchy bush. Luckily he didn't trip and fall. 

He kept it up until he believed he was close to losing the trail of the pixies. 

It seemed to be working too, because the attacks slowed down, and the voices grew further away. Even though he should have felt triumphant at this, Dipper didn't feel any better. 

His heart was still hammering and he was beginning to stumble over himself from his legs feeling like jello. 

He was about to collapse, when a warm hand grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him towards a bush. As quick as the hand hand been in him, it was gone and replaced by what felt like something wrapping around him. 

Oh god. 

He was trapped now.

Dipper mentally broke down and his panic attack hit him in full. This was it. He was going to die. Right in the woods and all alone. The brunet choked out a broken scream, until a hand clasped over his mouth to prevent him from doing it any longer. 

Dipper couldn't see what was holding him and it made things worse. How could he even begin to try and fight back if he didn't know what it was? Why had it not killed him yet? He began squirming and sobbing harder until he heard a whisper in his ear. 

"Pinetree, shhhhh it's me. Deep breaths.”

The voice in his ear registered as familiar in his panic induced mind and it brought him closer to reality. He just couldn’t tell where it was coming from. All he knew was that a name kept repeating in his head over and over again. A name that he should be furious at, but right now he was clinging to like a lifeline.

“B-Bill?” his said it out loud. His voice sounded weak and muffled against the hand covering his mouth.

“Bingo! The one and only. Now I need you to calm down and focus on my voice,” the hand on his lips moved to caress his cheek and then slid up into his hair, “They have you under a weak spell. Just take deep breaths and focus and it should wear off soon.”

Dipper did as he was told and closed his eyes to concentrate on the hand running through his curls. It was calming and he could feel the tightness in his chest loosen in fractions.

After a shaky breath, Dipper blinked a few times. That's when everything came into focus.

Sure enough the familiar yellow star with one eye was right in front of him. Had probably been there this whole time. Bill was pretty close to his face and Dipper could see that he was extremely concerned.

It took a few more moments for Dipper to try and piece everything together. He first noticed he was nauseated and out of energy. A common sign for him that he had pushed his body too far. He tried to reach for his stomach but realized he was constrained.

Dipper looked down to see what was holding him in place and discovered that it was Bill. His noodle thin arm was long and extended, wrapped around his body four times. 

He became all too aware again of how practically naked he was and squirmed. His face burned at being held like this and by a demon no less. Even if the warmth of the star's arm felt good against his clammy skin. 

Bill seemed to feel his discomfort and let go.

"...It was the only way to restrain you," was the toy's awkward explanation. 

That's right. He had a panic attack. Bill had been there to see it all. The demon had received first row tickets of Dipper at his weakest and most vulnerable. 

He groaned and covered his face.

"Sorry I was um..."

The brunet felt a small grip on the wrist that was currently blocking his face. Bill pulled it away and held it between them. Dipper thought he was going to be teased, but the earlier concern never left the demon's face. 

"Later. They're still chasing us and I hear them coming," Bill whispered.

The demon began tugging him to his feet and Dipper let him. He still in a little it of shock after all.

"W-wha?"

"Less talk, more running," Bill instructed. He pulled the twin into following him at a steady pace, "We aren't safe until we're back at the shack."

Then something occurred to the star, "Did you at least get the stuff?"

"Y-yeah."

Bill looked back at him to give him a fond expression, "Good. Ready to go faster?"

Dipper's heart skipped a beat.

"N-not really?"

"Too bad!" And with a chuckle the demon zoomed forward at an even quicker speed. 

Dipper tried his best not to stumble over himself as he tried to keep up. He wasn't sure if it was because Bill was going too fast, or because of the lasting effects of his attack, but he turned his wrist so that he could adjust and grab ahold of Bill's hand. 

It made a little sense to Dipper. Yeah. This way it wasn't just the demon holding him and controlling the situation.

Yeah... 

Bill didn't stop at the touch but he did look down at their hands.

At first he thought the other was going to complain, but Dipper was relieved when he received a familiar reassuring squeeze. 

"Over there!" A deep voice shouted in the distance, "Get them!"

Fear lodged in the brunet's throat, but he tried not to let it affect his running. He wasn't alone anymore and he had to concentrate on getting away from these persistent pixies.

Seriously.

Why wouldn't they give up? 

"I thought they were tired and at their weakest at this hour," Dipper protested to the star in front of him. 

"Apparently not when it comes to my kind!" The demon shot back, "Or maybe it has to do with the fact that we screwed them over big time? I don't know, why don't you stop and ask?" 

Jeeze touchy much?

He needed to make Bill's quirks into rules in the new journal. He could make this rule number one, don't question the demon.

A spear zoomed past his hair, barely missing his skull.

Shit!

They were catching up and quick. 

"Looks like I have no choice kid!"

What?

Bill stopped in front of Dipper, nearly causing the brunet to crash right into him. It took took everything in him not to topple over either. 

That wasn't what mattered most in the moment anyways. 

No. 

It was the hand still grasping onto his firmly. It was the other arm wrapping around his bare skin again. It was the sudden yank that had him pressed up against soft plush fabric that mattered.

"B-Bill??"

The demon didn't respond. Instead, the answer came from a tingle in his bones and sharp pain that punched his gut. 

His vision blurred and the last thing he remembered seeing was the familiar painting of a ship. 

Then his world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much went on in this chapter >:D  
> Hopefully it was worth the wait?
> 
> Let me know what you think in comments and as always thanks to all who read, kudo, comment and subscribe. You all keep me going! I already have some of chapter 13 down, so maybe I can get it out sooner? We'll see. <3


	13. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper realizes he has a lot of wounds to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to apologize for how this fic took to update. I have something important happening in less than two weeks that oh boy has kept me stressed. Not to mention, this chapter was incredibly difficult to write. I just couldn't get it to fit right for some reason. It experience a TON of rewrites.
> 
> Anyways, I hope the length and content is enough to make up for delay.
> 
> Enjoy!

With a groan, Dipper realized that he is being slapped awake.

Not in a way that would leave angry red marks, but still stinging enough to feel pain.

As consciousness reclaimed him, bits and pieces of his body did as well. First off, he could tell that he was standing. Second off, his legs were wobbling like jello. 

Something was clearly holding him up and holding him place.

Last but not least, whatever had a grip on him felt nice and warm.

Dipper let out a content sigh and nuzzled his face into the hand that had suddenly stopped hitting him.

Oh how he wished this feeling would last.

Of course, the world had worse plans for him. After the thought crossed his mind, the rest of his body decided to wake up and join the party. 

That’s when reality came crashing in.

Every nerve in his body came alive with excruciating pain. Dipper held back a choked whimper and tears threatened to spill. He desperately hoped that sleep would take him again. Anything to avoid the pain, but he was too far in the waking world to go back now. Resigned to his cruel fate, he slowly opened his eyes.

All he could see at first was a brilliant shade of yellow glowing back at him. Then he focused on the lone eye scrutinizing him. In any other circumstances, Dipper would have screamed at the sight. When he opened his mouth to try, he found that it was too dry to voice anything. 

Good thing it had been too. Now that he was more aware of his surroundings, he knew the eye would have made fun of him for it. 

Well not the eye exactly...

Bill would have.

The demon who was currently way too close for comfort.

Of course. 

How many times was Dipper going to wake up to seeing Bill in his personal space this month?

At least the brunet was glad the star was doing more than just staring at him this time. Assessing the situation and remembering what the hell just happened, Dipper realized that the only reason why the other was so close and holding him, was because he had fainted. 

Even now, Dipper hoped Bill wouldn't decide to just let go, because he honestly didn't think he'd be able to stand on his own at the moment.

Beneath his fringe, Dipper's head began to pound. A headache was clearly forming and he knew it was probably from a lot of things.

Despite all the pain and the oddly quiet demon that was holding him, he was relieved. A thought beat repeatedly against his chest like his heart, and that thought was that he was safe. He felt safe right here in this moment, but hell if he knew why. 

Dipper chalked it up to the fact that he was in his room at the shack. He was home and not out there in the forest fighting off pixies anymore.

The brunet let out a sigh of relief and decided to take the next steps one at a time.

Step one. From the looks of things, Bill was clearly too concerned to move or say anything for that matter. Dipper couldn't remember the last time the demon was this silent in his presence and the resulting feeling was disconcerting. 

That had to change.

Okay at the count of three, he was going to-

A wave of vertigo hit Dipped suddenly and the dizziness made his knees give out a little. If it weren't for the arm wrapped around him, he would have fallen to the ground for sure.

Well that ruined any plan of getting out of this situation. 

Instead he found himself resting his head on the star, with said star panicking. 

"Kid, you okay?" The other's voice came out higher pitched than normal, "Do you think you can stand on your own if I let go?"

Dipper lifted his head a little and instantly regretted it. The resulting surge of pain, made him see stars.

" I....I don't know. I'm still really dizzy..." He croaked. 

Gods It hurt to talk.

He felt Bill push him towards the bed and Dipper let him. The back of his knees hit the edge and the grip on him loosened so that he could fall on it. Except instead of sitting, the brunet flopped all the way down. 

He gasped at the terrible pain that shot through his body. It took everything in his not to curl up instinctively, because he knew it would only make it worse. 

What he didn't realize was that he was still holding bill's hand and it pulled the other closer. The star ended up floating in front of Dipper's view of the ceiling. 

At first, he was confused about what had happened. He frowned at the demon above him until a gentle squeeze to his hand brought the situation to his attention. 

Oh.

Hand. 

Right.

He tried to let go of it, but either his brain signal to his arm wasn't working or his body refused to.

" S-sorry."

The brunet looked away, embarrassed and then back at the other.

Wait 

What?

He could have sworn that for a moment, Bill eye was ogling his body. Dipper blinked and the demon looked away. 

Was he more out of it than he thought, that he was seeing things?

Getting a better look at the other, the star was clearly uncomfortable and refusing to meet his eyes. There was no way. He _had_ to be imagining things. In no dimension would Bill actually check him out. 

The thought stung a little.

That and he couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that he was expos-

It was not a feeling of being exposed. 

He _was_ exposed.

One glance down was enough to confirm it. The brunet had barely any clothes on and he was _still_ holding a demon's hand. 

Dammit!

Dipper felt his body heat up unbearably and finally he was able to let go. He covered his face in shame.

"Ugh....I'm so sorry. I don't even know what I'm doing right now. Sorry."

There was an awkward pause before either one of them spoke.

"Well I'll tell you one thing you're doing. You're bleeding." The sentence came out short and filled with an awkward tension. 

Dipper opened his eyes and inspected his arms. Sure enough, he had cuts and marks all over him. He felt a few stings from his legs too so that meant they were also injured. The worst injury was a broken arrow that was sticking out of his arm.

He really hoped he could pull it out safely and that he wouldn't need to go to the hospital for that.

Dipper sat up and saw the demon doing everything he could to avoid his gaze. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here at the moment. 

He sighed.

Great. Were things going to be awkward between them now?

"Bill?"

A curious eye met his for a second, before looking away hastily. Dipper took this as a sign to continue. 

"There's a first aid kit in the kitchen, above the fridge. I uh don't think I'll be able to get it and er I need to put some clothes on, so would you mind? I'll explain everything after."

"Right," Bill spared him another quick glance before dashing out of the room. 

With the room still spinning around him, Dipper wobbled over to the closet and pulled on a loose pair of shorts. He tried his best not to get blood on them as he slid them over his underwear. Of course with his shaky hands, he did the complete opposite. 

Darn. 

He had really liked these shorts too.

Dipper wasn't good at removing blood or bad stains from his clothes. His laundry knowledge was limited to what he had tried to teach Bill. He could ask Mabel, but there was no way in hell he felt like explaining this whole ordeal to her. 

Oh well.

It was also pointless to try and put on a shirt. With the arrow sticking out on his arm, it would obviously get stuck. He couldn't pull it out either until he had the first aid kit.

Not that the shirt thing mattered anyways. Bill had seen him shirtless plenty of times, so he didn't think the demon would act awkward about that. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, Bill had seen him in his boxers before as well. Why now of all times it seemed to matter to them both, was not something he really wanted to think about.

....

Was it because of the kiss?

Nope! 

Not going to think about it! 

And that's how he spent the next few minutes. Dipper mentally argued with himself until the demon returned with the small supply kit. The way his thoughts were going and the events from earlier made him glare at the other when he came close. 

Bill immediately noticed the sudden hostility.

Luckily for them both, the star didn't bring it up. Dipper was sure he would have snapped at any comment.

In fact, there was only a slight hesitation from the other at the tension. After that, Bill rolled his eye and promptly floated over the bed to place the kit there. He even went as far as to unlatched it for Dipper. 

With one last look at the brunet, the star drifted back to let him do his thing.

Dipper started off by going for the gauze, wrap, and antiseptic.

After all, it was going to take more than a bandaid to stop the bleeding from the arrow inside him.

Fortunately, the arrow had hit him in the left arm and not his right. He'd be getting into the car and heading to the hospital if it had been his other. Well, he couldn't really rule out having to go to the doctor yet until he tried. 

"You need help with that Pinetree?"

Embarrassment seemed to come for no reason. 

"Uh...yeah. I don't know if it hit any nerves or damaged tissue."

Bill loomed closer and placed his small hands on his arm. Once again Dipper was surprised by the warmth of the touch and it traveled all the way down his spine and up to his face.

"Relax kid. The last thing you want is for your muscles to tense and make this even more painful."

Dipper winced when the star grabbed the arrow at it's base, "I t-thought you liked pain? Pain is hilarious remember?"

The demon gave small chuckle, "Only when its me doing it. Not some poorly dressed flies."

The brunet gave a small huff, but whether it was in pain or in humor, he wasn't sure. Probably a mixture of both.

"Now deep breaths Pinetree and on the count of three, I'm pulling it out,"

"Pulling it out?" He practically shouted at the star, “ I don’t think that’s right. You sure that won’t damage my arm?"

"Just do it," Bill rolled his eye as he scolded him, "Or I'll pull it out right now."

Dipper gulped and did as he was told. The memory of Bill guiding him through his panic attack sprung to the front of his mind. If the star could help him out of a panic attack, maybe he knew how to pull out an arrow.

After all...No one but Mabel had ever been able to calm him down that fast...

"One.."

"Two!"

At the count of two, Bill tugged on the arrow until it was completely free. It hurt like a bitch and the twin let out a scream in agony. It hurt so bad, it took all he had to resist the urge to grab the star next to him and fling him across the room. 

Luckily for Bill, now was not the time. Blood began to well up and spill onto the sheets. Dipper needed to disinfect it and wrap it right now.

At least Bill was kind enough to hold the wrap in place as he wound it around his arm. Once it was secure he gave the star next to him a murderous glare.

"What the hell was that for Bill? I thought you were going to count to three!?"

The star looked unamused at his outburst. In fact, he seemed like he was close to being annoyed. 

"You didn't expect it. If I had counted to three, you would have become tense and caused more damage."

Dipper blinked, then felt his face become hot with fury.

“You think _that_ didn’t cause damage!?"

Bill scoffed, “Of course it did, but not as much as if you had tensed up. We’re lucky it was a doll’s version of an arrow and not a real one. You probably would have lost all feeling in that arm if it was.”

The way the demon said this all calm and matter of fact, left Dipper’s jaw wide and gaping in horror. 

The right words to express his fury wouldn’t come to him. There were so many things wrong with what had just transpired.

Instead he clenched his teeth and tore his boiling gaze away, "Whatever. Just go away. You've been nothing but a pain in my ass.”

Silence filled the room and Dipper almost thought Bill had left without saying a word. 

He dared to look up and found the star staring again. Dipper couldn’t place the look he was giving him, but he knew it wasn’t one he’d seen before.

The demon made no effort to give him space. Well if Bill was going to be stubborn, then the brunet decided he was going to try and get answers instead

“Okay, looks like you don't know the meaning of go away. Fine. Whatever. Stay, but I want to know what happened. So let's start with you first.”

Bill snapped out of his weird gaze and his eye narrowed.

"Isn't it obvious?” The star floated to the kit on the bed and pulled out a bandage. Dipper watched as he peeled it back to reveal cartoon dinosaurs on the design. Bill then floated out of view by moving somewhere behind him, "One of those annoying green bugs found me out and I had to scedattle before I compromised your chances.” Dipper shivered as he felt small hands place it over a stinging part of his back. "I went into hiding and that's when you came tumbling out of the bushes. End of story."

Despite the harsh tone to that last sentence, Bill was gentle with him. The demon hummed as he reached put to grab another bandage from the kit. 

"You on the other hand need to start talking now."

A hand trailed down his back to emphasize again his lack of clothes. A blush crawled up Dipper's neck at the intimate touch, but he couldn't swat Bill away. Not when he was being kind enough to patch him up. That and Dipper seriously doubted he’d be able to reach those wounds on his own.

“You going to explain why you were almost in your birthday suit when I found you? Don’t tell me you offered special _favors_ to the king for the dust?"

Dipper felt himself heat up even more unbearably, “As if!"

The demon chuckled and Dipper was ready to tear his hair out at how Bill always seemed to frustrate him lately. 

Just calm down Dipper.

The more he knows it bugs you, the more he's going to do it.

With a sigh the brunet began telling Bill everything that had happened. Of course, the star had cracked up at the mention of him having to trade in his clothes. Other than that, the demon had silently worked on his back and listened.

Then Bill had to go and ask about the damn panic attack.

Like a door, Dipper felt something in him shut close. He hunched over and away from Bill’s touch. He hated talking about them. It made him weak. It made others look down on him.

The demon sensed his hesitance and floated back into view. Small hands were placed on star corners in concern.

“Kid?"

“I-It was nothing. Just forget about it.”

Bill tsked at him, clearly not satisfied with the answer, “Didn’t look like nothing Pinetree.”

Dipper bunched up his shorts in his fists and looked away.

“Pinetree?”

The worrying tone in Bill’s voice made Dipper choke. His hands trembled as he tried to hold back the suffocating fear of being exposed like this to his old enemy. 

The brunet shut his eyes tight as the words spilled from his lips, “What do you want me to tell you Bill? That I have panic attacks? That every now and then the world feels like it’s going to swallow me up and I can’t breath? That I’m weak?" 

Dipper’s breath hitched on the last word. 

He had said it out loud and now the brunet wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the star reach out but then drop his arm in defeat.

“What causes them? I watched you for days that summer. I never saw anything like it."

Dipper swallowed some air. How many times before had he been forced to lie about this question and say something else? How many times had he hidden this from the few who actually knew, just so that they wouldn't worry? Now finally he was able to admit out loud for the first time and it took everything in him to do it.

“You do." 

Bill flinched and his eye widened tremendously. He was clearly taken aback and no words left him.

Their silence was deafening and Dipper couldn't stand it. 

“At least at first,” Dipper added in weakly, “I started getting them after Weirdmageddon. It started off as nightmares and with me always being on edge. Then it just progressed and well…” the brunet trailed off, unable to continue.

“But you defeated me.”

The question was said more in confusion than as a taunting fact. 

Dipper looked down at his hands “I know, but the nightmares of you almost killing Mabel. Sometimes they felt so real…then you would appear in my dreams and I never knew if it was you or not, until after a year…"

Bill was quiet again and this time Dipper was glad for the lull in the conversation. He wanted to change the subject to anything other than this. The brunet was about to open his mouth again, but the star interrupted him.

"Does anyone else get them?”

Okay so they were still talking about this.

Great.

“Mabel did at first, but she got over it fast. I… I wasn’t so lucky. It, It wasn’t fair. We used to talk about it all the time and help each other through them. Once she got over it, I couldn’t worry her and make her revert. Every now and then Great Uncle Ford would talk to me about it, but he was always at sea...so I had to keep them to myself." 

Dipper had both hands in his hair pulling. He could feel his head pounding even more and the stress of talking about this wasn't helping. He was about to try and change the subject again, when he felt Bill grasped his hands and pull them away. The demon squeezed them quickly and then let them fall back down to his lap.

It seemed like this hand thing was becoming a silent question between them:

Are you okay?

Dipper glanced up to confirm this, but instead found himself facing part of the star's body up close. Being this near, he noticed a tear in the fabric that caught his eye. It was medium sized and white stuffing was sticking out of it, threatening to spill. 

Had he been so out of it due to his injuries, that he had missed that completely? 

Bill backed up to meet his gaze fervently and then reached for the band aids again.

"...let me try and heal those wounds you can't."

Dipper goes absolutely still as Bill floats to his shoulder and applies ointment to the wounds. Each touch leaves a warm sensation behind. 

As he sat there in shock, Dipper wondered if he meant just the physical ones or the ones he carried with him. 

\-------

When they were both sure each and every injury was taken care of, Dipper cleared his throat and put some space between them.

"Look, thanks for helping me. But I'm still mad at you. You know, for the pixies and for leaving me and everything that happened when I was young..."

Bill's arms slumped but didn't look apologetic at all.

"I really did a number on you and your family huh?"

Dipper couldn't meet the other's eye at that. He hoped the answer would be obvious.

"Look kid. Be angry. I don't care, but will you at least listen to my side of things?"

"You mean the evil and unredeemable side?"

Bill snorted, "Exactly that one."

"Fine. Won't change things anyway."

"Don't expect it to, Pinetree. You see, where I come from, our two dimensional perspective of things were nowhere near yours of the third." The star paced in the air and gestured in the air like he still had the power to project things, "When you get to be a being such as myself and have lived the amount of time I have, you face a lot of frustrations. I was so close to my dreams of a world of no rules and limitations. You and the rest of the Pines threatened to be a major set back and I took it out on you. In hindsight, I have my regrets. I had one purpose and nothing was going to get in my way. In the end, my hastiness was my downfall."

Dipper listened to Bill rant with a frown. What was the point of telling him this now? If anything, it sounded like Bill wasn’t sorry at all. He was just sorry he got stopped. 

Then it really hit him. No. This wasn’t an apology. 

Well, not really. 

This was an explanation for his actions and it was up to Dipper to accept them or not. As a demon, it would be the worst thing for Bill to apologize, but maybe he was trying to do it in a way that worked for him. 

Said demon moved to give him space and laid down on Mabel's bed. It looked like he was waiting for a prison sentence and Dipper was the jury. 

Dipper sighed.

He appreciated the info and the crappy apology, but he was still pissed at Bill. 

“Look, I get what you are and what you were doing, but this isn’t something I can just forgive and forget. I don’t even know why you’d want me to even know that information.”

Bill shrugged and adjusted his bow tie, “We’re working together, I need you to stop focusing on the past and concentrate on the now."

That wasn’t good enough for him, even if it was useful advice.

Dipper got up and walked over to a drawer to open it. He pulled out a shirt and carefully slipped it on. He was fully aware of the eye burning a hole in the back of his head and probably the rest of his body.

"Bill, I can't think right now. My head really hurts and I need some space. I'm going downstairs to talk to Mabel and see what she says."

The star let out a sigh but didn't complain as Dipper left the room.

Looks like he was starting to learn when he was fighting a losing battle. 

Good.

Dipper made his way down to the kitchen to get some serious pain meds. There was no way the weak 100mg Advil in the first aid kit was going to be enough to dull the pain shooting through him. 

He pulled open the medicine drawer and scrambled it’s contents looking for something good. He was sure most of the stuff in here was expired, but there was no way he was going to the store right now.

He pushed past some of Gruncle Stan’s pill bottles to find a familiar name. It was some prescription Ibuprofen in the high numbers that should be enough even if it had expired years ago. 

Dipper opened the fridge to find something to drink and cringed at his choices. There wasn’t much left, but milk would have to do for now.

There wasn’t much left so he chugged it straight from the gallon and tossed it out. 

Just another thing on his ever growing list of groceries.

With a sigh, Dipper figured he should just sit down here and make the calls. He was too exhausted to move anywhere else.

Gingerly, he settled into the chair closest to him and pulled out his phone. No missed calls or texts

That was shocking, considering that Mabel was waiting for his response. Maybe his sister was caught up in her busy world? Either that or she was pissed that he was taking so long, even though he had made his decision hours ago. 

Still, instead of calling Mabel first, Dipper dials the person who probably needs to hear from him most. His editor Judy. She had been distraught and furious when he told her he was coming to Gravity Falls. Although it really wasn’t the fact that he was here, but more that he had barely written anything at all and now Dipper was taking a “vacation”. 

Anyways, he was sure she would appreciate the update.

Dipper rings her up and talks to her for a good twenty minutes. She seemed pleased at his progress but he could still hear the nervous edge in her voice. Judy reminded him again of the deadlines and begged Dipper to finish on time. He promised her he would do his best and then hung up.

Well, that went well. Now he could only hope Mabel wouldn’t chew him out for not telling her his decision right away.

Fingers pushed the speed dial button and he waited. 

Before he can breath, her cheerful voice comes on the line with a shout.

“Dip Dop!”

“H-hey Mabel. How are you?”

Mabel blew a raspberry over the phone. 

“Skip the formalities and let’s get to the good stuff bro-bro. Now, did it really take you that long to decide?”

Dipper chewed on his lip and immediately felt guilty, “No. Not really.”

“Dipper!” She accused, “And you’re barely calling me now?”

He was like a child again being scolded by a parent and it sucked.

“I- uh I’m s-so”

“It’s okay. Don’t apologize. Just give me the deets.”

Dipper gave a small chuckle of relief, “The deets? Who even says that?”

“I do! Now spill!” her laugh was breathy and full of warmth so much so that Dipper immediately wished she was here beside him.

“So I told Bill yes-“

“Yes!” Mabel cheered on the other line.

Dipper went silent and she apologized. 

“Go on.”

“And Bill took me this morning to get the first item.”

His sister gasped on the other line, “What the hey hey bro bro! I thought we were doing this all together?”

Dipper back tracked and explained everything that had happened. He told her about the items they needed to get. He gave some details about what happened with the pixies, purposely leaving out Bill’s antics and his panic attack. Then he went over which items he felt like he needed her help the most in and the ones he could handle himself.

Mabel argued about wanting to be a part of them all. Of course, he brought up that she could only come for a day, but it didn’t help quell her frustration. Dipper decided to try another angle.

“Come on Mabel, concentrate. You know I need your help. It’s still helping me, if you give me advice.”

“Advice?” he interest was caught.

“Yeah. Of course.”

“Like with what?

“Okay so we still need a dragon’s egg, water from a river, a rare shell, uni-“

“Dipper! I can get you the shell!”

Up until she shouted, Mabel had been making a humming sound. The change in volume startled Dipper so much, he almost dropped the phone.

“Ow Mabel. Quit bursting out loud like that and interrupting me.”

She laughed it off and gave him an apology.

“You heard what I said right?”

“About the shell?”

“Yup! Let me take care of that bro bro.”

Dipper tried to rack his brain on how Mabel could possibly do that.

“How are you going to get it?"

Mabel chuckled at his incredulous tone.

“Oh I have my connections.”

Like that wasn’t weird or suspicious at all. There was no way he was going to leave it at that.

“What connections? Gruncle Stan or Ford? I don’t think they’ll be able to find that on their own without proper diving equipment.”

“Pshaw Dipping Dots. You’re really underestimating what Gruncle Ford can build. He probably has one already, but that isn’t who I am referring to."

Okay so if not Ford or Stan…

“Then who?"

Mabel makes a mischievous noise and immediately Dipper knew he wasn’t going to get a straight answer.

“Let’s just say a lady doesn’t kiss and tell. You’ll see eventually though."

Dipper let out a groan.

“Ugh Mabel. This is serious!”

His sister scoffs at that, “ I am being serious. Just wait for my text and I’ll tell you where to get it okay?”

With one last grunt of annoyance, he gave in.

“Fine, but you better not drop the ball on this."

“Oh I won’t”

She sounded smug now and Dipper smiled to himself. Even if he teases, he believes that his sister will follow through. Now came the easier part, he hoped. 

The first time Bill had mentioned Unicorns, he knew that would be the area Mabel would help out the most. After all, she had dealt with them first hand. If Ford had said they were a pain to deal with, he knew there was no way he was going to convince them.

“Okay, moving on. I also need help with the Unicorns. I have to get a hair like you did last time. How did you do it?"

Mabel was quiet on the other line for a long time. Enough so that Dipper almost thought she might have hung up on him or got disconnected.

"Mabel?"

"Sorry Dip-Dop. I just don't know how to tell you,"

"Tell me what?"

"Well, there just a tiny, itsy, bitsy problem."

"What!?"

"Before Candy, Granda, Wendy and I left their enchanted glade, the unicorns swore they'd never let another human in."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before they hung up,Mabel had gone more into detail about what had happened during her unicorn raid. From the sounds of it, they were going to have to come up with a back up plan.

Maybe Bill would know an alternative to their dilemma.

Then, of course, she had probed about Bill. Enough so that he had became defensive and response with short answers. 

It made her suspicious and she starting demanding to know if something more was going on. Which, much to his dismay, brought up the kissing incident in his mind. Dipper didn't tell her about it, but thinking about it wasn't good either.

His only excuse out of the conversation was to say he was starving and that he'd see her soon. 

Then Dipper hung up on her.

He expected an angry text, demanding to know why he was acting weird, but he never got one. Maybe Mabel was respecting his space too.

Either way, Dipper made himself a piece of toast and tried to decide what he was going to do next. He was still aching and hurting a little, so moving around was out of the question. 

Looked like it was going to be a lounging about and being lazy kind of day. 

Yes that sounded good.

He knew he should be spending this time writing, but he honestly needed a break. That and it would mean going upstairs to his room and confronting the demon again. 

He wasn't ready to talk to him yet. While Dipper wasn't as furious anymore, he still needed some space and time alone. What he honestly needed was a distraction. 

Dipper decided that there was no better way to do all those things than to spend it watching terrible TV and lounging on the small chair. 

That was where he stayed for hours until he became restless. 

There were only so many reruns of Why You 'Ackin So Cray-Cray and Laugh Factor he could stand to watch. The latter was a newer show where participants went head to head to see who could hold back their laughter the longest while watching funny videos.

Dipper had heard a rumor once that retired agent Powers had been on the show. He had made it all the way to the finale, only to be disqualified when they found out he wasn't laughing because of a rare disorder he was born with. 

Who would have known?

With a grunt, Dipper pushed himself off the sofa and decided to finally get some writing done. He dreaded going upstairs, but he couldn’t put off facing Bill forever…

Or maybe he could!

He forgot the Bill Journal was in the kitchen still. 

Dipper wouldn’t be able to get some real writing down, but it was better than doing nothing.

Maybe he could even try to decipher the codes in there as well.

Dipper tenderly headed towards the kitchen, making sure not to aggravate his pain. He opened the drawer where the journal was and fished it out from underneath Gruncle Stan's senior citizen ponytail magazine he used to cover it with. 

He stuffed it under his shirt and looked around to make sure no one saw. Even though Bill hadn’t bugged him all day. He didn't trust the demon to not walk in on him. 

He decided Ford’s room would be the safest place to write in.

Dipper walked over there and shut the door being him, locking it for good measure. Once he had sat down at the desk and found a pen, he opened it up to an empty page. The pen hit the page and words flowed out of him.

At first he started off with Bill tics. He mentioned how the demon was touchy about certain things. How he was weird about being touched and hot it was to be touched by him. 

That was until Dipper became flustered by how frequently he was using the word and decided to move onto something else.

He pondered for a moment before deciding on focusing on Bill’s Mindscape next. He wrote about it’s beauty and drew a sketch of the design and different hallways. It was a good distraction until he brought up how Bill used his Mindscape to create a body.

As he thought about that moment, he looked down at his notations to see that he had scribbled the word ‘jerk’ all over a blank page.

His emotions were getting to him and in disgust he shoved the journal away. This was supposed to help him get over his anger and it was only making it worse. 

Why was Bill so frustrating?

It was like everything he did was to annoy Dipper and even when Bill was trying to seem nice, it came out wrong.

With a snarl, Dipper pushed himself up from his chair to go lay down on the futon. 

He wasn't exactly sleepy just yet, but his anger was making him mentally and physically exhausted. Maybe laying down would help. 

Or not.

His thoughts strayed to find the source of his frustrations. 

Yes Bill was a pain in his ass, but he had always been that way. His annoyance seemed to stem from something else. 

That kiss.

Dipper brought a hand up to his mouth and pressed them to his lips.

When had been the last time he had kissed someone that wasn't family?

It had been far too long since his last relationship. That's why this was bugging him. Here he was aching to find love and this asshole comes into his life and makes Dipped kiss him.

Sure it wasn't on the lips, but the implication that it had been romantic to the pixies was what got to him. 

It was like not having control of his first kiss all over again. 

Dipper couldn't stop the thought that crossed his mind and let out a snort.

At least he could say he had kissed a mermaid and dream demon in his life. Who else could say that? 

Then again, both were considered males, so that didn't help Dipper's cause.

Soos words from the diner came back to him.

'What about any dudes?'

Dipper rolled onto his good arm and curled up.

Maybe now wasn't the right time to think about that when the only male in his life was the insufferable Bill. 

He closed his eyes at the thought and let out a shaky breath.

Bill who was warm to touch, knew how to calm his panic attacks, and slept next to him every night...

\-----------  
Dipper had no idea when he began to dream. It seemed like he had been stuck in this dream world for a while before he ended up in the mindscape.

Except the world around him appeared to be faded. It was like a weak signal on a television screen and every now and then it would flicked out.

Great. 

He wanted to be left alone and Bill _still_ brought him here.

He was about to storm into the yellow room and demand to be let out, but he stopped in his tracks. There in front him were arrows pointing him towards the purple room.

How strange.

Did Bill want him to go in there and explore?

Dipper followed the arrows all the way to the entrance and then paused. He couldn't help the nervousness he felt about going in. After all, the last time he tried this, his hand melted in front of him. Who wouldn't be scarred from that?

The last thing he needed was to see that again.

To try it out, he carefully put in a hand again and made a fist. He felt his body lock up and expect the worst. 

To his surprised, nothing painful or terrifying happens. His hand didn’t melt, but instead he had words glowing all over it. Dipper turned his arm left and right to see the words 'curious' and 'shock' written repeatedly on it.

Oh

This was interesting.

Sure that it was safe, Dipper stepped in. He moved until he was all the way through. 

Like a Christmas tree, his whole body lit up with words. Some he noticed were his nickname and real one. He could see his sisters name and his family's. Even Gravity Falls as well. It was like a black light in the room was exposing everything that made Dipper, well, himself.

Once he was done admiring everything on his body, he began following the arrows again. They led him all the way to a shelf with a book that was glowing brightly, despite the signal of the mindscape being fuzzy. 

So is this where Bill was leading him?

Dipper reached out and grabbed the book. When it was snug in his grip, the brunet opened it. 

At first he thought it was empty, after flipping a couple of pages. He was about to give up in frustration, when a word appeared. It was big and bold, right in the middle of the page.

Gently he ran his fingers down the page. 

He knew he would never hear this word out loud, but somehow this was enough. 

Dipper looked at his arms again and new letters formed into different thoughts. 

A majority of them he recognized and some he refused to acknowledge, but one stood out the most.

Resolve

Yes. With a new determination, Dipper slowly placed the book on its shelf. His fingers lingered on its spine only for a brief moment, before the brunet marched back towards the atrium of the Mindscape.

Now he knew why Bill didn’t want Dipper wandering around the Mindscape. Those hallways must be parts of Bill that the demon didn't want him to see. It must have taken a lot just to let Dipper visit that room, much less reveal that thought. 

He was surprised Bill would let himself be so vulnerable..

And now it was going to take a lot more to stop Dipper from wanting to explore those areas. 

He mentally cursed at himself as the Bill statue got closer and closer. Now was not the time to betray Bill's trust because he couldn't quell his curio-

Wait a minute.

Had that exit door always been there?

Dipper rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Was that even possible?

No. He definitely would have seen it before, if it had been there. 

So this was Bill giving him the chance to back out and leave.

Pfft. Like he would just walk out after seeing something like that.

Dipper wanders into the yellow room and isn't surprised to hear that Bill is playing the piano.

"No one knows what it's like  
To be the bad man  
To be the sad man  
Behind blue eyes"

The demon crooned in the distance and the words made Dipper pick up his pace.

"No one knows what it's like  
To be hated  
To be fated  
To telling only lies"  
Finally he turns a corner and spots the familiar piano. What isn't as familiar is the man sitting in front of it.  
Bill is in a human form.

Eyes open a fraction to reveal a shimmer of brilliant blue. They spot Dipper and stop him in his tracks. The brunet couldn't look away at the strange emotion they held.

Then as quick as it had been there, it was gone. Bill concentrated back on the keys he was playing and singing along.

"But my dreams  
They aren't as empty  
As my conscience seems to be"  
Dipper walked around the behemoth of an instrument until he reached the blond. He isn't sure what compels him to do it, but Dipper sits on the bench by Bill. He frowns when the demon human flinches and stops. This is not what he intended. Dipper encourages him to continue.

With a nod, Bill scoots over a little to give him some room and continues to play.

There was something magical about watching slender fingers slide gracefully across a sea of black and white. It wasn't only that. As Bill swept across the piano, so did his body. Arms, shoulders and back, following the movement of his hands. Dipper wasn't sure why, but he couldn't help but stare.

That was until the eyes glanced at him curiously.

Heat filled Dipper's cheeks and he looked away in shame. Maybe it was best to just sit there, enjoy the music, and listen to the lyrics.

Which he did until the song finally came to an end.

Bill doesn’t look at Dipper when he is done. He doesn't say anything either, like he was expecting Dipper to start laying it on him.

He might have too, if the demon didn't look so damn lost. 

Eventually, after a minute of them saying nothing, Bill spoke.

"So you didn't leave. You came here..."

Dipper scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yeah um…."

They both fall back into silence.

"...Bill?"

The other turned to look at him and everything Dipper was about to say gets lodged in his throat.

He had been ready to bring up the word in the book, ask about the room, bring up his frustrations and try to resolve them.

Yet that wasn't what he asked. 

Instead he brought up the safest thing his mind had stumbled on.

"Why are you in a human form instead of your, you know?"

Bill began staring intently at his hands and gave a half hearted shrug.

"Not sure? I just showed up like this. Probably so excited about turning into human that my self conscious cooked this thing up."

Eyes widened and Bill tensed.

"Does it bother you? I can turn back."

Oh did Bill think that he was uncomfortable? Dipper waved the other's worries away with his hand. 

"N-No! it’s fine."

Even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. Dipper didn't exactly care that Bill looked human. What bothered him was how weak that expressive blue eyes were making him. Dipper found himself constantly getting lost in them and it was becoming concerning.  
The brunet shook his head to snap out of it.

"I mean, you're going to look human eventually right? Might as well get used to it."

Hopefully a human with a different color...

Bill raised a brow but then shrugged again, "Just because I’m excited to be one doesn’t mean I want to get used to it."

"Oh…"

"No offense to you meat bags, but I’m only excited to get out of being trapped in my dimension," as the man in front of him said this a wistful smile crossed his thin lips, "This just happens to be the only solution that might work. You think I want to be trapped in a sweaty mortal body without powers?"

Dipper took a moment to consider what he was saying.

"If you feel that way, then why not stay in your toy form? Wouldn’t that almost be like the same thing?"

The blond made a disgusted noise in the back of throat.

"And live as a puppet? Being a human isn’t exactly ideal, but at least the spell would make it so that it would bring my trapped form over. It would convert into a soul to inhabit the body," Bill let out a shudder as if the idea repulsed him, "Even though I get to keep my powers as that star, it takes a lot out of me just to be in that constricting piece of fabric."

Oh...It did make a lot of sense and at least he now had a clearer idea of what they were doing with this whole making a body thing.

Dipper looked down and at the piano in front of him.

It must have came off as being disappointment at the demon, because Bill continued.

"Nothing against the temporary body kid. Just imagine if you were stuck in it?"

Dipper let out a snort. 

A puppet was bad enough. He would never want to be in a toy. He couldn't imagine it being a glamorous as the animated movies of them coming alive.

"No I get that." Even as Dipper says it, he can hear the unsureness in his voice.

It was still one thing to have Bill around as a weak plush, but making him human was still something he was worried about.

Bill let out a groan.

"I see those gears turning kid. Quit it," The other turned to face him fully, "You humans and your weak sensitivities. You've got durable bodies, but when it comes to the stuff up here," The blond paused to poke his head, "You meat suits are pretty fragile."

Dipper pouted and refuses to look at him.

Well excuse him for having anxiety.

It wasn't like he was the only one with issues. Bill had his hang ups too. 

In his frustration, Dipper plays a key on the piano.

"Yeah, well, that's something you'll have to get used to as well."

Bill rolls his eyes, "Like I'll let some weak human emotions mess with my mind."

The confidence in which the blond says this pisses Dipper off even more. He forcefully plays another key.

Now it was Bill's turn to be annoyed. The demon pushes his hand away and tells him to knock it off.

When Dipper defiantly puts his hand back over the keys, Bill glares at it.

"At least let me teach you how to play."

The brunet smirked, an idea forming in his head.

"Hmmm let me think about it...Nah I like doing this better."

Dipper began to bang on the piano until the other was trying to pry his hands off it.

Every time Bill was about to grab his hand, Dipper would slip it out of his reach. They continued this pattern until the demon began cursing at him. 

All this does is make Dipper chuckle at how childish Bill was being. It earns him a playful shove and the brunet returns the push. Hands were everywhere and next thing he knew, they were losing balance and toppling over. Bill hit the floor first with Dipper falling halfway on top of him. Somehow he had landed with his face straight into Bill's warm chest. 

The brunet felt the demon below him begin to spasm and at first Dipper was concerned. He peeked up to glance at the other, only to see Bill burst out in hysterics.

"Oh kid, that was hilarious!" 

Bill was howling so hard tears were practically spilling from his eyes. His face was flushed a dusty pink and the sight of if makes Dipper's heart skip a beat. The laughter was infectious and Dipper couldn't help the small smile that tugged on his lips.

The brunet gave the other his best pouting face as he reached out to poke the blond's cheek repeatedly.

"Hey man. It's not that funny."

Bill stopped his chuckling to suck in a deep breath. He eyeballed the intrusive finger and a devious look slowly formed on Bill's face.

Oh no.

Teeth snapped towards his finger and Dipper pulled it away before they get a good grip on him.

"Hey!" He shouted and reached out to flick the demon on the nose, "What is your problem?"

Bill began lagging again and ignored the question. Instead the other reached out and pulled him close. The force of the movement caused Dipped to lose his balance and fall on top of the demon again with an oof.

Oh god. 

What was he doing!?

Arms and legs wrapped around his torso and pressed him closer to the body underneath him. Being so tightly pressed against another warm and hard body made Dipper groan softly. His face flushed, very much to his mortification.

"B-Bill!?" He stammered and flailed in the other's grasp, "L-let go!"

The man below him hummed, "Nah, I like this sensation," and then Bill decided this was an appropriate time to nuzzle his face in Dipper's hair, "Maybe this skin on skin thing isn't as repulsive as I thought. Maybe I've been missing out. What do you call this Pinetree? I want to do more of it when I'm human!"

The brunet stiffened.

His mind struggled to think, the blood up there making it too hard to concentrate on anything.

"It's called c-cuddling. You do that with people you like...you know _that way_...N-now let go! T-this is weird man," Again Dipper tried to pull away and the blond let him move back slightly. 

Blue eyes found his.

"But I like you kid. I've told you this. So I don't see the problem."

Dipper's chest exploded in heat and he knew there was no way Bill couldn't see the blush on his face right now.

Oh god.

There was no reason why he should be blushing right now!

The embarrassment became too unbearable that he started shouting at the other, "You do this with people you love, you idiot! Not in your I think you're fun to mess with, so I like you way!"

Realization dawned on the other and his arms and legs fell away with a soft thud. It would have been comical if the situation hadn't been so uncomfortable. 

Immediately Dipper scrambled off Bill and stood up. He didn't even bother offering the other a hand up.

Not that he needed it. The demon seemed content to stay on the floor a bit longer. Dipper crossed his arms and dared a peek at him only to see Bill look a bit perturbed.

When caught, the blond changed his look into one of annoyance, "You humans and your strange rules. If something feels good, why not do it? Why does it have to be love?"

Dipper scowled right back, "Because there's such a thing called personal space dude. Yeah it feels good, but what if the other person doesn't like you back?"

Bill sat up and looked thoughtful at this. He opened his mouth to ask something, but apparently thought better of it. 

Dipper hoped the conversation was over at that, but apparently the other wasn't done yet. He was merely coming up with something better to say. 

"Again, a dumb human rule that Weirdmageddon would have taken care of," The blond stood up and adjusted his rumpled clothing, "But right. I get it."

"Good," was all the brunet wanted to say more on the matter. He decided to sever any more attempts at that strange conversation and take it down a new unrelated path, "So...I was talking to Mabel about the tasks and she gave us some good and bad news."

The demon raised a brow, "What did Shooting Star have to say?"

Dipper uncrossed his arms and began pacing the Mindscape.

"She said that she had connections to get the shell we need. Mabel wouldn't say who, but why would she lie? She said to expect it soon, so that's the good news."

Bill was intrigued by this, "I wonder who Star knows that could possibly get something as rare as that?" The demon tapped his chin as he tried to figure it out, but quickly moved on to the more pressing information, "And the bad news?"

The brunet paused his pacing to give the other an uneasy look, "We might not be able to get the unicorn hair. Apparently my sister burned all bridges when she tried to get the hair to protect the shack and...well, you know."

"Keep me out." Bill said sharply.

"Y-yeah."

The demon groaned, "You have no idea how annoying that spell was. Even more frustrating than dealing with unicorn's themselves! How did your sister even manage to convince them to give her some?"

"You didn't see? I thought you saw everything?"

Bill rolled his eye, " Sure I do, but at that moment I had my eye on the prize. The prize being the rift."

Dipper frowned but when he thought back on the memory, he couldn't help the small smirk that replaced it, "Well let's just say she came home scuffed up and covered in Unicorn tears and blood."

Bill stared unbelievingly at him for a moment before chuckling, "That is priceless! Can't say those horned ponies didn't deserve it."

Dipper kicked at the ground nervously.

"Yeah, so Mabel thinks there's no way they'll let anyone else into their home after that mess."

He watched as Bill scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"She may have a point. It couldn't hurt to try, but knowing how pretentious those pesky unicorns are, I doubt they'll let us in at all. "

Dipper let out a sigh and slumped back onto the piano seat, "So what do we do now?"

He watched hopelessly as the blond walked over to one of the shelves and began searching through the titles.

Bill tsked at him as he pulled out a book, "Giving up already Pinetree? How very unlike you." The demon flipped through it a bit before frowning and putting it away, "We find another way of course."

The brunet kicked out his legs and swung them back and forth as he thought. Bill was right. He normally didn't give up this easily. It was just that he remembered how difficult Ford said unicorns were. If there was another way, wouldn't his great uncle had said so? 

How else could they possibly get hair from one specific creature? It wasn't like there was anything else that...

An idea struck him, "Bill! There is another way!" Dipper got up and ran to the other excitedly. He grasped the demon by his forearm and began dragging him, "Do you have a section on half-breeds? Take me there!"

Bill immediately began protesting at the harsh grip, trying to tug his arm free, "Yeesh Pinetree. Calm down. What are you going on about?"

Dipper faltered in his steps in order to glance back at the blond. He realized what he was doing and let go. 

"I uh remember this creature that was in the journal," the brunet stammered, waving his hands exaggeratedly, "It was half Unicorn, half something else!" 

Blue eyes widened considerably at the idea and for once Dipper thought he might know something that Bill didn't. 

It didn't last long though. Next thing he knew, the other had recoiled in disgust. 

"No way Pinetree. Bad idea. There's only one thing worse than a unicorn and that's a  
Leprecorn! So you can forget about that idea."

That's what it was! A Leprecorn. He couldn't believe he had forgot with the amount of pouring into he did into the journal when he was twelve. He supposed it had been years since their destruction and there had been plenty of weird combinations of creatures. Besides, any normal mind would erase the sight of a Lepricorn to preserve their sanity.

Still, the amount of aversion Bill had to the idea was odd and rose some strange questions. 

Dipper took this as an opportunity to mess with the other. 

"What's so bad about a Leprecorn, that even a demon is shaking in his sneakers?" he teased.

Instead of having a light hearted effect, it was the opposite. 

Bill was incredulous even.

"Shaking in my sneakers? Do you have any idea what you're saying kid?" At this the demon reached out and grabbed him by his collar to tug him close, "Nothing scares me, meatbag. I'm a being of pure energy. A demon who resides in the worst dimension of them all. Don't misunderstand Pinetree. What you're suggesting isn't _scary_. The Leprecorn just happens to be the most annoying creature in this hick town."

When the blond was done snarling these facts into his face, Dipper was shoved away harshly.

The brunet steadied himself and glared.

Well that was uncalled for.

He did not appreciate this treatment of his body or his idea.

"Jeeze, sorry for touching a nerve there or something. I was only kidding. It was just an idea. No need to get all up in my face." Dipper spat.

Bill grit his teeth, but then seemed to choke back on what he was going to respond. Instead he huffed and turned away. 

This, at least, Dipper was grateful for. He wasn't ready to get into another serious fight with the demon so soon. Well, hopefully. He could hear the other muttering curses at himself, but it seemed like Bill was trying to avoid a fight as well. 

There was a pungent silence as the two simmered at the other. It was Bill who broke the silence with a sigh.

"Looks like we can't help but push each other's buttons," he murmured. 

Dipper almost hadn't heard it, but he knew Bill intended him to.

It was the next best thing to an apology that the Pines man knew he was going to get. Well...unless he went back into the purple room. 

"Yeah I guess so. Some team we are." Dipper said softly as his shoulders slumped.

They both dared to meet each other's gaze briefly to see the same look there. Something about that in itself was enough for Dipper to know they were okay for now.

"So most annoying?"

Bill let out a snort, "You've got that right,"

"But what if it's the only way?"

The blond scrunched up his nose like a kid being forced to eat the broccoli he hates.

Then with a frustrated grunt he stalked off deeper in the library. He made no indication that Dipper should follow him, so the brunet stayed put until the other began yelling at him.

"What are you doing? Get your Pine ass over here kid. You're going to want to see this."

That got him going for sure. Dipper ran after the voice, looking this way and that for it's owner.

"Bill?"

An exaggerated groan of frustration filled the air and then next thing he knew something was approaching him fast.

It was long and oddly shaped. Dipper couldn't make out what it was until it grasped his hand and began dragging him forward.

It was a long outstretched human arm!

Something about that grossed him out, but if he was ever going to find Bill, he couldn't exactly pry it off. 

It pulled him faster and Dipper had to concentrate on his feet so that he wouldn't trip and fall.

Luckily Bill hadn't strayed too far away, because within a minute, he was face to face with the other.

The brunet rolled his eyes, "Why do you have to make everything so frustrating?"

The human in front of him smirked, "Because frustrating is my middle name."

He huffed at that response, "No it's not and Bill Frustrating Cipher is a terrible name."

A delicate blond brow raised at him, "You're one to talk Pinetree," and a mad grin spread across that good looking face, "Or should I say Mmmmfffghh!"

Dipper slapped a hand over Bill's mouth in sheer reflex. It was something he used to do whenever Mabel tried to tell other people his real name when they were younger. She stopped doing it after a couple of years, but old habits die hard.

"Dude! Don't call me that!"

Shocked blue eyes switched back and forth between him and his hand. Then it faded into a much worse expression. The only warning Dipper got was a mischievous glint, before something wet and warm was sliding all over his palm. Goosebumps erupted down his arm and spine and he screeched as he tore his hand away.

"Did you just _lick_ me!?"

He got no response because currently the other was having a fit. The demon had to hold himself together from the amount of spasming he was doing from trying not to laugh so hard.

"What did you prefer? A bite?" Bill choked out.

"N-no!"

Dipper's face burned and it only made Bill laugh harder. It would have been ten times more annoying if the expression didn't make the blond look so human and normal. How could laughter make someone appear more appealing? 

The thought made his heart stutter and he pushed the feeling away.

"You done now?" He pouted.

Bill adjusted his clothing as he came down from his high, "Only seems fair now. A tease for a tease."

"Yeah whatever dude. Now what were you going to show me?"

Bill lit up and leaned closer to cover his eyes. Dipper tried to step away, but the blond was too quick for him.

"Uhhh...what are you doing?"

"I'll take my hand off but keep you your eyes closed. It's a surprise."

Dipper slapped the hand away but obeyed and kept them shut, "It better not be a screaming head again," he grumbled.

"Even better! Now open your arms and hold them close." The grating voice in front of him commanded.

Once again he did as he was told and felt something that he was a hundred percent was a book land in them.

He kept his arms out, expecting a series of them but one book it remained.

"Open them."

Blinking a few times, Dipper glanced down to see what book Bill hand given him. When he saw it, he gave a loud gasp and actually freaking dropped it.

The distasteful look Bill gave him was proof enough that it was real and that dropping it had offended him.

"Sixer would have punched you if he-"

"Is it r-real?" Dipper interrupted and he found that he was now shaking.

"In a way."

What kind of half ass response was that?

Dipper immediately scooped up the wonderful and amazing journal and just about cried as he ran his thumb over the golden hand.

"But how? How do you have Journal Three?"

All of a sudden it became a treasure in his hands and Bill was the enemy all over again. Dipper held it close to his chest and took a step back.

"I thought you burned them all?"

A strange look came across Bill. It was like he had a pretty good idea what he was thinking and the idea displeased him.

"I did." He sneered suddenly, "That's just a replica. There's no bringing them back."

Dipper didn't like his tone, but even he knew what this looked like. He had to remind himself again that Bill had just handed this to him willingly. If Bill wanted to damage this replica of the Journal, he would have done so already.

He loosened his stance a little and gave the other an apologetic look, "S-sorry. I just don't understand. How is this possible?"

The venom on the blond's face dropped a little and he cautiously spoke again, as if Dipper would snap, "It's all a memory. Open it up and you'll see. Anything you added to the journals afterwards is not in there. You'll also see some pages that are in there that weren't before, when you had it."

The brunet did as he was told and sure enough, on the gnome page, his addition of leaf blowers as a weakness wasn't there.

"Oh..."

Then it hit him.

"You've seen the Journal before?"

"The answer to that is on page five Kiddo."

Confused, Dipper slowly flipped back to the beginning and for the millionth time it seemed, he was appalled..

Staring back at him was a page called "My muse"

He repeated the word aloud and read the entry. 

That had been a page that was ripped out? Dipper's stomach churned and the Bill journal came to mind. So Ford had been hiding even more secrets.

"Why are you showing me this now?"

Bill gave him a dismissive shrug, "Thought it'd be a pleasant surprise. Didn't think you'd drop it though. Mostly, I'm showing it to you because everything that I bothered to remember about the Leprecorn is in here from good ole Fordsy's notes."

Dipper went back and forth between staring at the replica in his hands and the blond in front of him.

"Does that mean we are doing this?"

Bill let out a snort.

"Unfortunately."

\--------------------

When Dipper woke up from the Mindscape, he was no more rested than when he had passed out. Not only were the injuries still throbbing, but now his back hurt even more from the uncomfortable futon. 

Sitting up and stretching, a combination of pops relived some of the pressure on his back. Still, he was going to have to take some more pain killers. 

What time was it?

Dipper looked up at the window in the room and saw that it was dark out. One quick look at his phone told him it was close to midnight.

In all honesty, all the brunet wanted to do was collapse back onto the futon and hope for a dreamless sleep. He didn't understand why he had woken up at all. If it was this late, Bill should have kicked him into a deep sleep, not the waking world.

Then again...maybe he had woken him because Dipper wasn't in bed?

With a groan, he knew what he had to do and got up. He picked up the Bill Journal and as quietly as he could, lifted the plank he had originally found it under. Once lifted, Dipper stashed the it back in there. It was a pain in the ass to do, but he couldn't trust the demon not to come back in here and search for it, when he wasn't looking.

After that, he headed out to the kitchen. Dipper grabbed the plastic bottle of stronger pain pills from the drawer again and found an extra box of what he needed in there too. He pulled out one strip and two capsules. 

Too exhausted to get a glass of water, he swallowed the pills dry and instantly regretted it. The taste was terrible and it felt like one got caught in his throat. He would have gotten water now, but he was already too far up the stairs to go back to the kitchen now. 

When he reached the bedroom door, he had to take a deep breath to prepare himself. Yeah Bill was an asshole, but he had tried to make up for it in the Mindscape. Well, in the best way that a demon with little to no sense of morality could.

After the whole Leprecorn argument, Bill had offer to leave him alone to reminisce though the journal. He even said that he'd keep it nearby, if Dipper wanted to go through it whenever he was there.

It had meant a lot, but the brunet knew there was a task at hand. He told the demon he'd go through it later and instead they focused on planning on how to find and capture the creature. 

Dipper nudged open the door and expected to find the other smug and in his bed. Instead he was surprised to find Bill sitting on Mabel's sheets with a nervous look. It was almost as if he was worried that Dipper was still in a bad mood and would snap, despite everything that happened in the Mindscape.

Well technically he was still not in the best of spirits, but mostly because everything hurt. 

He approached the star without saying a word and that big eye of his widened in response. 

Dipper stopped at the edge of the bed and reached in his pocket to pull something out.

"Pinetree?"

The brunet let out a sigh, "Shut up. I'm tired."

He peeled away the strips and held the sticky object between his hands. Slowly he reached over and placed the cat branded band-aid over the cut on Bill's body.

The demon let out a very small and confused noise at the pressure of Dipper's fingers smoothing it on. 

Then it was all over.

Dipper hoped the demon would recognize the gesture of peace and turned to face his own bed.

"Temporary. Until Mabel can fix you," he grumbled almost incoherently as he pulled the covers away and got under them. 

Bill didn't respond, but the pinkish glow that resulted was all Dipper needed to see before he shut his eyes and went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you all think?
> 
> I'm going to try and get this fic back on track once the beginning of September passes. I should be free to get those creative juices flowing again I hope. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'll see you all next chapter!


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